BALLA Demeter was born in 1931, in the rural countryside of the Great Hungarian Plain, in the environs of Szentes, a small town in South-Eastern Hungary. He attended school in Szentes and Kunszentmárton. On finishing his vocational studies in Budapest by graduatings an electricity technician he took up a job in a factory in Budapest.
     From 1951 onwards he began to escape the everyday grayness of his life by turning to art as a way of self-expression via observing and recording through photographs the world and life surrounding him. Developing his photographers` skills initially by self-education, his deep devotion to photography soon led him to visiting art and photo exhibitions - then to attending lectures and courses on the history, theory and practice of photography.
     In 1954 Balla Demeter decided to become a professional photographer and obtained the Diploma of a degree course in photography in 1957, and in the same year entered the services of the Capital’s Photo Company. His photographs brought him success, wide recognition, awards and prizes, which furthered his career. His ouvre is characterised by rich artistic diversity including portraits, photojournalist work, still life, nudes, urban scenery, landscapes, etc. His work became a regular feature of newspapers, journals, magazines and later other products of prestigious publishers of fine art books and other albums. From 1969 onwards he was employed by the Newspaper Publishing Company, the largest organisation of its kind in Hungary and retired from his last formal employment (at the Adam magazine) in 1988 - devoting his life entirely to creative photography since then.
     Balla Demeter is also recognised for his writings. His thoughts and poems were and are published in well known Hungarian newspapers (Népszabadság, Kurír) and magazines (Új Tükör, Élet és Irodalom, etc.) aimed at sophisticated intellectuals, while his drawings are regularly published by C·E·T (Central European Time) magazine. His ouvre is frequently commented upon and recognised in numerous writings and interviews published in major languages almost all over the world.
     He is Member of many professional organizations.
     He founded the Demeter Award on the 18th March 1999. It is for those who altruistically do for the Hungarian Art Photography. The award was first given out on 4th May 2001 and according to the plans later on in every year.

MAJOR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS

1960. Young Photographers’ Exhibition. Budapest, Hungary
1961. Young Photographers’ Exhibition. Pécs, Hungary
1962. Young Photographers’ Exhibition. Berlin, Leipzig, GDR
1964. Individual Exhibitions. Warsaw and other Polish towns
1966. Individual Exhibitions. Teheran, Iran and Beyrouth, Lebanon
1968. Miskolc Scenery. Miskolc, Hungary
1970. Siberia. Irkutsk, The Soviet Union
1971. Portraits and Homes. Petôfi Museum of Literature, Budapest, Hungary
1972. Portraits and Homes. Balassagyarmat, Hungary
1973. Portraits and Homes. Balmazújváros, Hungary
1973. Portraits and Homes. Debrecen, Hungary
1973. Portraits and Homes. Hajdúszoboszló, Hungary
1973. Portraits and Homes. Biharkeresztes, Hungary
1974. Portraits and Homes. Miskolc, Hungary
1975. Miskolc Today. Chamber exhibition, Miskolc, Hungary
1976. Public Property. Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
1976. Photos of small sculptures by Jenô Kerényi. Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
1977. The Art of Eszter Mattioni. Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
1978. In the Soviet Union. Association of Hungarian Journalists, Budapest, Hungary
1978. On the Road. Szentes and Székesfehérvár, Hungary
1979. On the Road. Miskolc, Hungary
1981. Our town: Székesfehérvár. Székesfehérvár, Hungary
1981. The Anatomy of the Movement. Vigadó Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
1982. The Anatomy of the Movement. Collegium Hungaricum, Vienna, Austria
1982. The Anatomy of the Movement. Nyíregyháza and Nagyatád, Hungary
1982. The National Assembly. Exhibition in the Parliament, Budapest, Hungary
1983. The Anatomy of the Movement. Szekszárd, Visonta and Dunaföldvár, Hungary
1983. The Anatomy of the Movement. Qvedlinburg and Halle, GDR
1984. The National Assembly. Debrecen, Hungary
1984. The Anatomy of the Movement. Bicske, Siófok and Celldömölk, Hungary
1985. The Anatomy of the Movement. Sopron, Hungary
1986. The Anatomy of the Movement. Nádudvar and Debrecen, Hungary
1988. Thy Will Be Done. The Gallery of Photographic Art, Budapest, Hungary
1991. Thy Will Be Done. Eger, Hungary
1991. Collected works. Kunszentmárton, Hungary
1997. Bagatelles. The French Cultural Institute, Budapest, Hungary
1998. Bagatelles. KÖRLÁNC Conference, Esztergom, Hungary
1998. Nudes. Collective exhibition with 9 artists. Vigadó Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
1999. Bagatelles. Kunszentmárton, Hungary
1999. Bagatelles. (Festival de l'image) Le Mans, France
2000. János Pilinszky. London, UK
2001. The Old One. Budapest Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2003. The Old One. Olomouc, Czeh Republic
2003. The Old One. Prague, Czeh Republic
2003. The Old One. MATAV Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
2004. Pictures of Titanic. Canterbury (UK)

BOOKS

Szép versek. Magvetô Publishing House, Budapest, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975
The Buda Castle. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1970
Balla Demeter: Fiatal Magyarország. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1970
Jean Cassou - Kovács Péter: Vilt Tibor, a szobrász. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1972
Beke László: Schaár Erzsébet. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1972
Balla Demeter: Balaton. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1974
Schaár Erzsébet - Pilinszky János: Tér és kapcsolat. Magvetô Publishing House, Budapest, 1975
Balla Demeter: Miskolc. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1977, 1978
Sík Csaba: Vilt Tibor. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1979
Balla Demeter: Gorka Lívia. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1979
Balla Demeter: Székesfehérvár. Corvina Publishing House, Budapest, 1982
Balla Demeter: Thy Will Be Done. Pelikán Publishing House, Budapest, 1994
Balla Demeter: Pictures of Titanic. Ab Ovo Publishing House, Budapest, 2004

VARIOUS PRIZES AND INTERNATIONAL AWARDS

1957. Award of the World Youth Meeting
1964. EFIAP Award
1973. Pravda Award
1977. Balázs Béla Award
1987. Merited Artist

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