The contemporary Hungarian artist and graphic designer, Bence Marafkó’s work showcases the complexity of the notion of environmental consciousness in art. Far from being a commercial or communication strategy, for Bence, the need to up-cycle wood, plastic and paper waste has been a part of his creative work for three decades now. The pure and precise forms of his artworks come from the hidden world of his atelier filled with up-cycled, unique pieces of furniture for stockage, made by himself from pieces found in the street. His attitude reminds us that when we consider a material creation as showing environmental engagement, the piece of art as a final result is only the tip of the iceberg. We have to consider all the invisible aspects and circumstances in which the work has been created. Making one’s own packaging for delivery or hanging and stocking systems of waste materials and reusing one’s own waste generated during the creative process, as Bence does, are all part of environmental consciousness.
