What questions are on the minds of emerging artists today? How do young creators reflect on the social, technological, and cultural changes of our time? What new visual languages and genre-based approaches are shaping the future of contemporary art? These questions are addressed by the Hungarian University of Fine Arts’ Best of Diploma 2026 exhibition at the Hungarian Art & Business (HAB) contemporary art center, which showcases a selection of the most outstanding diploma projects by recent graduates.
Year after year, Best of Diploma is one of the most important events of the academic year at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts. The exhibition offers a comprehensive overview of the diversity of art education at the university, as well as insight into the mindset and creative approach of the next generation of artists. This year’s exhibition is being hosted for the second time by the HAB Art Center, located in the heart of Andrássy Avenue, whose mission is to contribute to the support of Hungarian contemporary visual arts and the socialization of art.
From among the graduating students of all the university’s departments, a professional jury selects the diploma works that, in addition to their outstanding artistic quality, sensitively and authentically represent the university’s spirit as well as the young artists’ individual perspectives.
In addition to the long-established fine arts disciplines — painting, sculpture, printmaking, and intermedia — alongside the latest trends in graphic design, stage design, works from the interdisciplinary visual arts program, and outstanding graduation projects from the country’s only higher-education program in restoration.
A common feature of the works on display is the organic integration of theoretical thinking and artistic practice. The works sensitively reflect on the defining issues of our world: the problems of identity and perception, the effects of digital culture, the relationship between humans and their environment, and social and cultural changes. The convergence of various media and creative strategies clearly demonstrates the open and experimental approach that characterizes the education at the Hungarian University of Fine Arts.
As their studies progress, students are granted increasing creative freedom, which is reflected in their graduation projects through complex conceptual content, a high level of professional expertise, and a conscious expansion of genre boundaries. In many cases, a successful graduation project is not merely the conclusion of an academic phase, but also the first defining milestone of an independent artistic career.
This year, 191 students will receive their diplomas from the Hungarian University of Fine Arts, and the most outstanding works among them are featured in the Best of Diploma 2026 selection.