My name is Erzsebet Kovacs.

I grew up in a small village surrounded by forest, with a lake at its edge. Nature and water were a constant part of my childhood. Since then, wherever I have lived, I have been drawn to forests and to the light of sunrises and sunsets. These experiences continue to shape how I see the world and approach my painting.

My journey into painting began quietly, through photography. It was a way of slowing down and noticing the small, meaningful moments around me.

During the Covid lockdown in 2020, I was unable to work. I lost my accounting job and was confined to my home. I was looking for something that could help me switch off from the constant and often unsettling news. Painting became my quiet refuge from the world outside. At the same time, my two children were beginning their own independent lives. As they started to find their own paths, painting offered me a joyful and grounding focus, helping me embrace this new stage of parenthood.

For the past seven years, I have been living in the Thames Estuary, just 800 metres from where the river meets the sea. Surrounded by the movement of the water, passing cargo ships, and the shoreline, this landscape remains a constant source of inspiration for my work. The early morning walks and photographing the sunrise along the shore continue to inform and inspire my paintings.

What began as a way to get through a difficult period has gradually become an essential and joyful part of my life.