Art in Conversation
with George Costea
ABOUT THE ARTIST
George Costea (born on the 27th of July, 1987, in Silistea-Gumesti) is a contemporary Romanian painter, who lives and works in Norway. He attended the primary school in his city, then became the apprentice of a church painter from Sibiu, Gurau Ioan. At the age of 18, he arrived in Bucharest and attended Phoenix High School, also attending the painting courses of Bucharest Byzantine Art School. He continued to paint in several Orthodox churches in Romania but he has been mostly attracted by the easel painting. He, therefore, changed his style, being influenced by the Renaissance paintings and made adaptations of the great masters. The meeting with the sculptor Panaite Chifu changed his perception and vision of art. The sculptor influenced George Costea to develop a higher interest in modern contemporary art style. George Costea's works have been widely exhibited in groups and solo exhibitions. He is now settled in Norway where he continues his career as a visual artist, painting on various subjects, from abstract landscapes, figurative-abstract compositions, and human issues to suffering, that appears in his work slashed, in raw action, controlling the real idea.
GEORGE COSTEA
Painter | Norway
Artist Statement
I am inspired by social events such as industrial, slums, expression portraits, nudes, subjects of society in general, trying to transpose them in a modernist way and in chromatic în I use both classic tools such as the brush and the palette knife and other unconventional work materials.
Lately, I have found inspiration in reading a lot and comparing at the same time the Darwinist theories and the theories of biblical genesis.
EDUCATION
Primary school "Marin Preda", Silistea-Gumesti
High School Gheorghe Asachi, Bucharest
The school of Sacred Art / Iconography, Bucharest
PERSONAL EXHIBITIONS
2020 - Exhibition in Muzeul Satului, Bucharest "Art and tradition"
2019 - Constantin Brancusi Art Gallery, Bucharest "Sintesys"
2019 - Horizon Gallery "Mahala"
2018 - Military Circle Gallery, Bucharest "A. I. D. V. A"
2018 - Personal exhibition Soho Gallery, Sweden "Abstract"
2017 - Campina - Museum "Nicolae Grigorescu"
2016 - Roman Gallery - "Light and color"
2015 - Sofia, Bulgaria - "Art Biennial"
WORKSHOPS
2020 - Chitila - "Summer art"
2019 - Painting of the chapel of Saint Pantelimon - Silistea-Gumesti
2018 - Restoration of Mihail and Gavril Buzesti-Teleorman Church
2017 - Painting of the church St. Fanurie hermitage, Silistea-Gumesti
2018 - Making frescoes of the Museum of the Chamber of Dukes, Oltenia
2018- Malta - "In the footsteps of the knights"
2017 - Italy - "Noah's Ark"
2017- Painting of the Trapezoid of St. Pantelimon Monastery, Silistea-Gumesti
2016 - Bulgaria - "Balcic"
2016 - Govora, Romania