Octavian Florescu

Octavian Florescu was born in 1957 in the Southern Romanian town of Craiova. In 1978 he interrupted his university studies in engineering to become a full-time artist painter. For five years he studied church painting and restoration which gave him the opportunity to learn and master all painting techniques from the ancient fresco to the contemporary oil and acrylic. The influence of the Byzantine style is noticeable in all his work. In 1989, while in Hungary, he completely dedicated himself to surrealism that allows him to best express his ideas. Over the past 21 years his paintings have been seen in Austria, Canada, France, Hungary, Mexico, Romania, and the USA.

The unknown, the energy, and the struggle to discover the essence of life the movement and the metamorphosis are the basic elements of my work.
--The search for the Human essence, for the link between the human reality and the spiritual one are the leading ideas in my work.
--The elements that I am using are almost real; the characters are fluid and in motion; they are spiritual, radiating an energy on the point of merging with the Universe.
--Each work is a story, a rhapsody, a vision into spirituality. I am trying to suggest only the idea of departure in...

Canada
1992-96
Montreal, SODARCO, First International visual art competition, Jury's Special Mention (1993)
Montreal, Place Ville Marie, Exhibit of artists which are International Prizes winners (1994)
Montreal-competition "ART VIEWED IN MUSIC", organized by HMV, 1st prize winner (1995)
Montral, "Constantin Brncusi" Cultural organization, art competition 1st prize
Montreal, "Unique Concept" art gallery
Saint Sauveur, Quebec, Anny's Art Galerie
Laval, Gallery "Sonnen et Dubuc"
Laval, Maison des Arts, group ehibition
Montreal, University of Quebec at Montreal, group exhibition
Mirabelle, Spring Hall, 1992
Mascouche, Fall Art Festival, 1992
Montreal, Ezotherique Library Center
Toronto, "Pegas" Gallery, Hazelton Complex
Quebec, Bon Pasteur Historical Chapelpersonal exhibition

2003-07
Calgary, AB, Avenida art gallery
Calgary, AB, Metamorphosa, Artspace
Calgary, AB, ArtSpace Gallery, personal exhibition, December 2005
Victoria, BC, Fat Cat art gallery
Victoria, BC, Mocka Caf, personal exhibition, December 2006
Chemainus, BC, Oak Leaf Gallery

USA (1997-2003)
New York, Paul Brezinsky (?) art gallery SOHO (1997-98)
Washington, DC, Romanian Embassy, personal ...