Cimbora - a Hungarian term - is originally borrowed from Romanian sîmbră. In Hungarian, this word was used to describe fellow companionship, using it as a synonym for pal or mate.

I was born in Budapest 1985 and moved to Germany at the age of two. I grew up talking Hungarian to my parents and older sister with a vocabulary which I adopted from my parents and grandparents while visiting them in Hungary. While the vocabulary in Hungary is constantly developing, my Hungarian vocabulary isn’t any longer. In this sense, I perceive it time-capsuled as I use words and phrases which was shaped by generations before and do not fit to today’s Hungarian language, even though everyone will understand it.

Cimbora is one of those days. My father and I used to say that to each other when we were kidding around. Nowadays, Cimbora became obsolete and you probably will not hear it in everyday language. As for me, it is a homage to my childhood and underlines my personal involvement into having a home away from home.

Daniel Heilig X Lawerta

Cimbora is a unique illustration which was developed in collaboration with famous spanish illustrator Lawerta.