Erik Mátrái (born 1977, Miskolc, Hungary) is a Hungarian contemporary artist whose practice spans painting, video, photography, light art and immersive installation. He graduated in painting from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, Budapest in 2004, and obtained his DLA (post-graduate doctoral) degree in 2009.
Although painting remains a foundational medium in his work, Mátrái has expanded his research into multimedia, developing large-scale spatial and light installations. His work often engages with fundamental elements such as light, water, fog, reflection, color and spatial perception.
In terms of themes, his pieces frequently draw on religious, scientific or cultural narratives — sometimes reinterpreting Christian iconography, sometimes investigating nature and the human relationship to transcendence.
His installations and video works — often minimalistic in their compositional language — aim to create new perceptual spaces: environments that invite meditative reflection and a heightened awareness of the viewer’s presence in space and time.
Erik Mátrái continues to live and work in Budapest, remaining active internationally through exhibitions, light-art installations, and multimedia projects.
