Interview
Hello!
Since I moved to London, I haven’t experienced a radical change in how my work is received. Somehow, several new clients from Romania have noticed my activity and have gotten in touch with me recently. It seems that my work has sparked interest in a type of clientele that is passionate about collecting art and in supporting artists. This has not been a monumental change but it has still impacted me and my practice over the past 2 years and I am grateful for the attention my work has received. Regarding collaborations with galleries in Romania, I can say that I’ve received proposals for cultural events in my hometown Sibiu (The City of Artists), in Transylvania, where I was also recently invited as a special guest. Galleries in the UK, Tokyo, and France have shown increasing interest, and I’m having ongoing discussions with them about future projects.
I have been very fortunate to receive an accolade from the Romanian president, Mr Klaus Iohannis, who has followed my work for several years. This past November, I was knighted for my dedication and professionalism that led to the enrichment and promotion of Romanian culture abroad.
I can say that London has actively enhanced my creativity and development over the last two years. There are many cultural events that I participate in, but what is most different, is how diverse and effervescent London’s art crowd is. So many people here get involved in the artistic process. I am mainly a self-taught artist and I feed on information and creativity from my surroundings. That being said, one of the clearest changes in my work is the return to subjects of natural origin, to the colors that painted my childhood years. The green color of London is similar to the blue of Voroneț; unique colors that manage to inspire me in creating works that transcend my imagination.
I think that art is very diverse and that there is an audience for all kinds of creativity. I don’t think there is the same focus on one artistic direction like there was 60-70 years ago. There are certain trends that enthusiasts will constantly follow but the vast majority of people will consume what art they find attractive and desirable at any given time. Contemporary art is a constant study of understanding and shifting perceptions. The works are broader and have very well disguised or cryptic messages which force the public to discover and understand their meaning. I consider my art to be a combination of classical subjects that is interpreted in modern and contemporary forms.
A lot of my paintings are on large canvases with a lot of color and texture. I have noticed a major shift in perception wherever I exhibit my art. When you encounter a work over 2 meters long and 1 meter high, presented in a chosen light, on a white wall, you will perceive the work differently in this context than in a digital 2-dimensional context, for example. Many of my clients find themselves encapsulated by the emotional and creative process of my work, but this happens primarily when they are in direct contact with my paintings. I think it is very important for people to observe an artist’s work in the way the artist wants it to be presented. However, people who do not understand my paintings often find themselves triggered by the lack of figurative forms. Even if they do not find my paintings attractive, they attempt to understand that my work is different from figurative painting. When they face the paintings, they understand the emotional and aesthetic depth that I have invested in each work and they are able to take something from them.
If I stop painting, I stop existing. It’s very hard for me to imagine myself doing something else; in fact, I don’t want to do something else as long as I live.
My art is a combination of bold perseverance and continuous work; a colorful expression of my soul.
London Post
Hi! Thank you for taking the time to learn more about my work.
The past couple of months have been challenging, but I have tried to make the most out of them. The
upside to this pandemic has been that I have spent more time painting and creating in the studio. I
managed to move to a new studio in Earl’s Court and have made the space my own by renovating it.
It has been a very good time for me to develop new perspectives and focus on my art, and a lot of the
anxieties I have experienced in relation to the news and fear of the virus drove me to put those
emotions into making new work. Recently, I have been painting a new interpretation of landscapes
and flowers which combine my encounters with nature and my need for beauty and calmness.
I don’t have a philosophy for art but my life philosophy involves cherishing the beauty and wonders of
nature. My heart opens and my imagination runs wild; I get lost in my thoughts and try to bring a part
of that onto the canvas. I consider myself a painter of the present as I try to focus on portraying the
spirit of our time.
I definitely like to work on a grand scale and that is particularly evident in the size of my canvases,
with most ranging from 100cm x 100cm to even 2m wide. My new studio affords me with more space
and allows me to experiment more with scale and size. In my old studio, I had to work according to
the constraints of being in a tighter space. Although my creativity was somehow limited, I did manage
to learn a lot from those spatial restrictions and was almost forced to work on smaller canvases. I find
myself now scaling the emotions I expressed on smaller canvases up. Being able to work on larger
canvases is not a fad but rather a creative choice. I have the opportunity to test and build more
complex colour combinations, compositions and structures into a painting.
I’m in awe whenever I enter my studio. After a lot of planning and work, I have created a space that I
am very happy w ith. It’s a big space with 2 large rooms and a long corridor that leads to a private
garden (which has come as a godsend during the pandemic). It has direct street access, plenty of
natural light and the interior decor compliments my personality. I am proud to have this space and
also thankful to my friend and artist, Sorin, who helped me a lot in getting the landlord’s approval to
redecorate. After 1 year and 4 months, the studio has come to life. Just a 5-minute walk from Earl’s
Court station, it’s in a very beautiful location and is really accessible. Adopting the necessary social
distancing requirements, I hope to be able to accept studio visits soon and would like to host events to
welcome the general public into my space within the next year.
I believe one of the things that I need is a good vibe. Some nice music in the background and good
lighting to clear my thoughts and help me bring my ideas onto the canvas. In the past, I used a lot of
traditional painting tools, but now I’ve decided to shape my own. I have repurposed a lot of
construction tools such as, small trowels, floats and big brushes and have modified them to meet my
needs.
I love to drink my coffee in the garden, enjoy the fresh air and plan my day. Also, before I start
working, I often prepare my canvases in advance with small interventions such as, scratches, colours,
frames and so on. I have a series of paintings entitled “ Searching,
” where I experimented with a lot of new techniques. This included exposing the canvas to natural phenomena such as, rain, sun, wind, mud etc. I am a person with few habits but I can say that drinking a glass of red wine has become a ritual at the end of the day.
Generally speaking, art is nothing more than the search for the self, meaning and existence. No
matter how much trends change, beliefs and thoughts shift, I strongly believe my art will remain
constant in meaning and rich in expression. I search for, without explanation, a lost perfection of the
mind and soul, and I find it important to portray clarity and peace through my work.
I just finished tidying up my studio. The past few weeks were also dedicated to other big changes,
such as redesigning my website and developing my overall presence online. I have been lucky
enough to work with dedicated professionals who have helped me realise some of my goals. I also
tend to get in touch with old teachers and good friends, like Corneliu Brudascu, who provide me with
constructive feedback. There is a lot of technical work that is put into something like a catalogue,
website and social media posts, and while this period has presented several challenges, it has also
brought about many positive changes.
When I’m not in the studio, I like to exercise and take long walks in London’s various parks and green
spaces. Exercising really helps my creative process. London is also a great source of inspiration;
when I walk through the city, I am struck by the city’s history and architecture. During my free time, I
also like to keep up to date with art news and stay informed of new exhibitions, auctions and
happenings that are taking place across London and Europe.
I plan to work hard and keep my spirits high in the coming months. This past month, I was decorated
as a Knight for promoting Romanian culture abroad by the Romanian President, Mr. Klaus Iohannis,
and I am so grateful and honoured to receive this accolade. This was an enormous morale boost and
a reminder that I have to continue to produce work during these testing times. Working with
passionate and dedicated people has been a true blessing and I am so happy that many of my
personal and professional goals have taken shape. To balance things out, I have offered part of my
time and resources to the Romanian Embassy in London for humanitarian use.
My next few projects will encompass a new interpretation of core landscapes and nature. In a new
meaningful expression of emotions and thoughts, I will try to depict new scenes that encompass both
figurative and abstract forms.
I am certain that people need art, now more than ever, to help them stay positive and hopeful.
London Daily Post
I think overall sales will increase, or at least, remain constant. From what I noticed, people are much more concerned with the appearance of their homes and they want to purchase things that contribute to the overall vibe and atmosphere of their living spaces. This involves acquiring art and increases the prospects of investing in art.
Due to a higher flow of direct sales and my studio providing me with more space to work in, I have had the opportunity to focus on new subjects and also on new dimensions. My creative process has changed a lot. I begin by preparing my work surface, which involves more attention in mounting and treating the canvas onto the frame. I believe that this process has transformed into a form of therapy; it’s where I dedicate a lot of my time to. The only places I had unlimited access to during this period were nature, parks, and forests. The need for open spaces and colour directed my attention to the creation of works with different textures and colours. An example of this is one of my most recent works, Dead Flowers, which expresses this change in habits and the alternation of perspective on time.
Regarding my participation in exhibitions, the future remains uncertain and therefore, I am unable to share any solid plans in regards to these. But what I can say is that I have worked a lot on my online presence this past year, particularly on redesigning my website and sharing my work on social media. I have been working with professional people in the industry and I can say that I am very happy to have the opportunity to work with them. I am very optimistic about the future, and in the long run, I feel I will be exactly where I need to be.
That’s right. In the past, I suffered terribly due to an illness that paralyzed me for almost 3 years. I had to paint from the hospital bed; it was my only way to escape that reality. I have to admit that it was a nightmare, but it was a period that built me and completed me as an artist. I experienced a lot of feelings then that I still carry today, especially in the way I perceive the world. Since I arrived in London, things have improved though and I have looked after my health and have tried to find a balance between Eros and Thanatos. I feel better than ever and I have to admit that my creativity is much freer here in London but I am grateful that I was born and raised in Romania, that I ran on the Transylvanian hills and I got lost in the colourful mirage of nature.
For me, painting has been and will always be the means by which I can live. I cannot perceive a better way to express myself, to develop, and to exist.
London Daily Post
Queen Marie of Romania was one of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters. Her father was Alfred Ernest Albert, The Duke of Edinburgh, and her mother was Maria Alexandrovna Romanova, the only daughter of Russia’s Tsar Alexander II. Queen Marie of Romania was born in England, in Eastwell and spent most of her childhood in Kent. She arrived in Romania at the age of 17 to marry Romania’s heir to the throne, Prince Ferdinand.
What is truly fascinating for us, as Romanians, is the way Queen Marie embraced her new life and destiny. Romania became her land; our culture and traditions became hers. She served Romania with utmost dedication and played a crucial role in our modern history. During communism, Queen Marie was the target of a denigration campaign. However, after the collapse of communism, her immense contribution to public life has been restored and she became an inspiration for many of the young generation. That’s how I started to love her.
I think I fell in love with Queen Marie at Balcic, this is a formal royal residence which she herself loved very much about a century ago. There is something magnificent about the space, the palace, the gardens – they all still seem to be shaped by Queen Marie’s personality. To me they are endlessly beautiful. There is also nostalgia for the old times, when we had a monarchy and elegant, inspiring royal locations. It’s not the opulence but the symbolism and the inspiration.
Prince Charles has a great interest and affection for Transylvania, and Romania in general. At first it was a little intriguing but I wanted to explore deep the connections between my adoptive country and the country of my birth.
A few years ago, I said that I will stop painting flowers, which brought me as an artist into light, and which I will always love. The flowers and gardens of Queen Marie, her drawings, clothing and jewellery – the crown itself – are hugely addictive to me, like a drug. I can manage to stay away from this addiction for a while but at I do return to it. The Queen loved the lilies scent. I love it too; it makes me feel a little drunk. It’s the most subtle and yet tangible connection with her.
The world inhabited by the Queen, particularly three palaces of Balcic, Bran and Controceni where she lived are places where I take refuge every now and then. It seems that every five years a new exhibition about Queen Marie of Romania is born.
Yes. I am delighted to share the exhibition with a dear friend, Mimi Chipaila, a visual artist and designer whom I hugely respect as an artist. Her work adds layers and brings substance to the exhibition which will be open over the next 3 months at Mogosoaia Palace, near Bucharest.
Mogosoia Palace was built about 300 years ago in what is known as the Romanian architectural style, by one of our oldest aristocratic families. It is very intricate and very beautiful. I’ve dreamt for many years to have the chance to exhibit there. Over the centuries, this was a place for the elites to meet and entertain. Apart from members of the Royal Family, politicians like Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle were also guests. It was also a place for many artists. This exhibition at this fantastic location has been made possible by the local authorities of Ilfov County and I am grateful for all their support.
Yes the exhibition is currently available only online and can be viewed here WEBSITE. I will also be publishing intensely on my own social media channels over the next few days.
Lastly, if I may, I would like to add my thanks to the Romanian Cultural Institute in London and to the Romanian Embassy for their programmes to support Romanian artists and art in the UK.