On Tuesday, September 26, 2023, the Contemporary Art Hall of the Golești Museum will host the painting exhibition titled “Immersions,” featuring the artist Ioana Alexe. The painter was born in Buzău on September 12, 1970. In 1989, she graduated from Industrial High School No. 3 in Buzău, in 1995 from the Academy of Economic Studies, in 1997 from the Lahovari School of Popular Arts, and in 2002 from the National University of Arts in Bucharest, specializing in Sculpture under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Vasile Gorduz.
She has participated in various monument restoration projects in Bucharest and Buzău and has held several solo exhibitions in both Romania and abroad. She has also taken part in group exhibitions in Timișoara, Bucharest, Buzău, Berlin, Paris, Bremen, Riga, and more.
After graduating from the National University of Arts in 2002, the artist went to Berlin for a 3-month residency and didn’t return to Romania until 2021. About this departure and her life in Germany, Ioana speaks in a beautiful interview she granted to Vioarei Bara:
“An artist integrates where and when they want; art has a universal language and requires a certain commitment to freedom. There’s a huge difference between a young artist with no responsibilities, no family, and an artist with the status of a mother, especially as a single mother, a self-employed artist who doesn’t make a living from art and can’t participate in the turbulent artistic life. So, a mother remains in a niche with a special content that actually disadvantages her.”
In the same interview, when asked what things hurt her, Ioana responds: “Helplessness, in various forms, lack of understanding, there are many… I don’t know how to put them into words, I DRAW them almost every day, and that’s why I say – it’s a great gift to be able to express yourself, to create a world with what the soul touches, to be able to laugh, cry, scream through a universal language that brings you closer to who you are. But it’s a long and difficult journey that requires special skill, time, and sacrifice.”
The exhibition at the Golești Museum reflects the unique vision that the artist has of the world, particularly inspired by the challenging times society is currently going through. It will be open for visitors until November 26, 2023, with the vernissage scheduled for October 14, 2023, at 1:00 PM.
Curator: Museographer Nicoleta Popa Grigore.
