Based between Hungary and New York, Hungarian photographer Reka Reisinger had the opportunity to photograph Hungary at a pivotal moment in history, subsequent to its opening up to the West. “It was a unique period when antiquated traditions still persisted in the context of an increasingly modern world,” she explains. “I witnessed first hand an era when women in my grandmother’s village still wore the traditional costume, a time before telephones and extensive highway systems, a time before shopping malls and mass media. Simultaneously, I observed the influx of western culture and the Hungarian people’s varied reception and unique interpretation of a lifestyle that was already familiar to me. My fond memories of this period shaped my perception of the Hungarian cultural landscape that I endeavor to portray in my photographs.”

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