Safir Rifas

Safir Rifas is a Romanian duo of contemporary artist sisters working across a dynamic range of painterly expressions — from emotive figurative narratives and surreal portraiture to abstract explorations, symbolic landscapes, and philosophical themes — all realized primarily in oil on canvas. Their work bridges the conscious and the imagined, interpreting psychological, cultural, and existential subjects with a visceral visual language that resonates with sophisticated collectors. Whether evoking the quiet tension of human identity, the sublime mystery of twilight horizons, or the charged paradoxes of belief and power, each piece reflects a distinctive conceptual depth and artistic integrity. Executed with a mastery of material and a commitment to one-of-a-kind originality, "Safir Rifas" paintings reveal subtle tensions between form and metaphor, the seen and the remembered. Their approach is rooted in classical technique yet unbound by stylistic constraints — embracing figurative realism, abstract expressionism, modern symbolism, and contemporary landscape motifs. Their works are included in international private collections and have been exhibited and recognized in major cultural institutions, reflecting a broad artistic range and...

SAFIR

Education:

Doctorship
National Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Bucharest.

Master's / Post-university degree
Workshop at the Academy of Fine Arts with the artist Hans Schnell, Munich,
Germany (2010 - 2011)

Master's / Post-university degree
Western University, Faculty of Art and Design (2009 - 2011), Timisoara
2011 - MFA Dissertation Thesis on image sources and resources, "Demonic Rebellion of Creation."

University (graduate)
ERASMUS Scholarship at Academia di Belle Arti, San Martino delle Scale, Palermo, Italy (2008 - 2009)

University (graduate)
University of Art and Design (2006 - 2009), Cluj-Napoca
2009 - Thesis in Painting: "Adam's Fall."

High School / Vocational School
High School of Music and Fine Arts "Sigismund Toduta" (2002 - 2006), Deva
2006- Group exhibition of Fine Arts and Music High School "Sigismund Toduta" Graduates with graphic illustrations for the book: "Adam and Eve" by Liviu Rebreanu

RIFAS

Education:

Doctorship
Western University, Faculty of Art and Design, Timisoara,( 2013- 2016). graduated

Master's / Post-university degree
Workshop at the Academy of Fine Arts with the artist Hans Schnell, Munich, Germany(2010 - 2011)

Master's / Post-university degree
Western University, Faculty of...

SAFIR

Selected Solo Exhibitions
– Echoes from the Shadows, Forma National Gallery, Deva, Romania (2025)
– Belle de Noir, Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania (2025)
– Paint It Black, Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania (2024)
– Anima, Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania (2021)

Selected Group Exhibitions
– Alexandru Ciucurencu Painting Biennial, Tulcea, Romania (2025, 2023)
– International Small Graphic Biennial, Iași, Romania (2025)
– Prezentul Continuu, Five Plus Art Gallery, Vienna, Austria (2025)
– Jazz Color Jazz, Rocca Paolina, Perugia, Italy (2022)
– Creators Deserve to Be Seen, Louvre Museum, Paris, France (2015)

RIFAS
Selected Solo Exhibitions
– Echoes from the Shadows, Forma National Gallery, Deva, Romania (2025)
– Belle de Noir, Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania (2025)
– Paint It Black, Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization, Deva, Romania (2024)
– Entropic Field, Colorida Art Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal (2011)
– Rock Memorandum, ArtMania International Festival, Sibiu, Romania (2011)

Selected Group Exhibitions
– Alexandru Ciucurencu Painting Biennial, Tulcea, Romania (2025, 2023)
– Prezentul Continuu, Five Plus Art Gallery, Vienna, Austria (20...