Identity Painting

I was born in 1976 in Bucharest, Romania and I started to craft and paint as a child. I learned about the glass painting technique at the Popular Art School of Bucharest, in 2003. My third glass painting was awarded at a national icon contest: “Rugamu-ne tie”. Soon after that I started to experiment different themes and mixed media on glass. After more than 20 years of work, I came up with my first series of glass painting - called “T.I.!” - as my signature (acronym that stands for “I love you!” in my language, as well as for my name). The series was depicting people, places and things I love (like family, loved ones, Paris, Greece, chocolate, creative activities, little things) My first solo exhibition was at the Military Circle Palace of Bucharest (Palatul Cercului Militar) in 2012, followed by the second one in 2013. The second series, called “The flying weathervane” (“Girueta zburatoare”) was telling stories about people, places, things I was missing while I was living far from my country. Naturally the 3rd one should be about future, about hopes and dreams, about fantasies. (Starting with 2010 some of my paintings were also participating in group-exhibitions, most of them being now in private collections.) About my technique I work on the back of the glass. Sometimes I make a sketch on the front, before anything. The first thing I lay is the ink (water based). Those elements usually are the finest details of my work. I apply oil color and (sometimes) in the end, I use collage (paper, tissue or fabric). Basically almost everything is reversed than in canvas painting: the drawing is in the mirror, the details come first and the work area is on the back. I usually use 4mm glass and wooden frame, which I paint myself. About my inspiration I find it everywhere: in my feelings, in my experiences, in my dreams. I even find it in a joke, in a song, in a color or a memory. The buildings inspire me, especially the hardware, wrought iron and weathervanes. I always love primitive, tribal symbols, the popular costumes richness (their details, symbols, colors), mosaics and stained glass (vitrails), patchwork and knitted cloths. As much as I love spontaneity and working from my heart, intuitively, subjects of my paintings usually don’t let me sleep; so I tend to think about it a lot. Basically I am composing in my head before sketching.