radu serban

Radu Ioan Serban

visual artist / artist vizual
www.RaduSerban.ro
e-mail: contact@RaduSerban.ro
mobil: (00 40) 0745 055 410
MulTumirile mele:
pArinTilor, Ioan Si Eugenia,
fraTilor, CAlin Si Florin
My thanks to:
my parents, Ioan and Eugenia,
my brothers, CAlin and Florin
MulTumirile mele / My thanks to:
Sidonia
MulTumiri/ Thanks to:
Daniel Si/and Ovidiu
MulTumiri speciale:
Doamnei Livia DrAgoi, director al Muzeului de ArtA
Cluj-Napoca, Romnia
Domnului prof. univ. Ioachim Nica
My special thanks to:
Livia DrAgoi, director of the Art Museum, Cluj-Napoca,
Romnia
Ioachim Nica, consulting professor
Text critic/Text by:
Livia DrAgoi
Text explicativ/ explanatory text by:
Radu Serban
Traducere/Translation:
Victor Cherata
ConcepTia catalogului/Catalgue concept:
Sorin Iacob Trt - creative director, Zero Design Studio,
Toronto, Canada
Fotografii/Photographs:
Feleki Istvan
TipArit la/Printed by:
VHO GRUP

radu serban

Radu Serban belongs to a generation which, somewhat programatically, somewhat ostentatiously, showed a marked evolution in the last two decades in a fertile
postmodern experimental space. In this space, where he moves with a certain composed discretion, Radu erban has slowly and steadily defined a territory of his
own. This has been achieved by ordering his entire protean creation around a stable and irradiating nucleus: his vocation as a painter who is gifted with a peculiar
sensitivity, poetic and reflexive in its nostalgic source. A refined colourist and a virtuoso of drawing, the artist is also tempted by the technical possibilities of
the new media. He creates unusual hybrid objects through an inventive mix of media, techniques and languages. His voyages in the multi- and intermedial area and
in the fusions of traditional and unconventional, modern media remain, however, complementary to his passionate investigations in his main field: painting. They
are, in fact, opportunities to expand, within an integrating approach, the artistic issues specific to the universe of his painting. Beyond the ingenious manipulations
of digital images with new techniques, languages and artistic codes belonging to various fields (visual arts, film, music), the integrating postmodernist vocation,
specific to the artists vision, can be seen in his way of approaching tradition, by subjectively assuming (through memory and remembering) some of the eternal
values from the heritage of the Romanian culture and civilisation. This type of subjective archeology steadily favours the Transylvanian village staple of the
artists childhood and adolescence, an affection-laden formative topos, which introduces in his creation motives and archetypal themes of discreet symbolic or
metaphorical relevance. It also determines a positioning of the author in an existential horison which is infused by the sacred. This is a space which is carefully
ordered by rules established through the long experience of individual and community life, allowing the discovery and cultivation of ones own interior world
according to the characteristics of the Romanian peasants soul: the authentic thrill of the sacred, the longing for cleanliness and absolution, the joy of living
in harmony with nature...
Discovering, through remembrance, his connection with this universe, the artist gives priority to one of its main coordinates, light. It is the source of life and
vision, and of moral truth and justice, the energetic exponent of the supreme Presence which is beyond what can be seen. This is either diffuse light, which, in
the wait for the descending transcendence, crowns, protects, soothes, elevates and redeems, or active light, which, together with coloured matter and drawing,
builds shapes and images, or changes them perpetually when mirrored in the water. In other words, light becomes the decisive factor in the spectacular marriage
of reality and dream, of truth and phantasm, of concrete and abstract, leading to an authentic, vibrant and
persuasive spritualising of vision.
Livia DrAgoi, PhD, Director of the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum

Radu Serban aparTine unei generaTii care, mai mult sau mai puTin programatic, mai mult sau mai puTin ostentativ, a evoluat semnificativ n ultimule douA decenii
ntr-un spaTiu experimental fertil, propriu postmodernitATii. n acest spaTiu, n care se miScA cu o anume, cuviincioasA discreTie, Radu Serban Si-a circumscris
negrAbit, cu fermitate, un teritoriu al sAu, marcat original prin ordonarea ntregii creaTii, proteice, n jurul unui nucleu stabil Si iradiant: vocaTia sa realA
de pictor nzestrat cu o sensibilitate particularA, de esenTA poeticA Si reflexivA Si de coloraturA nostalgicA. Colorist rafinat Si desenator virtuos, artistul
este tentat Si de instrumentarul tehnic, prodigios, al noilor media, dependente de tehnologia de vrf Si este preocupat de crearea unor nsolite obiecte hibride
realizate printr-un mixaj inventiv de diferite tipuri de medii, tehnici Si limbaje. IeSirile sale n zona multi Si intermedialA Si a mixajelor de medii tradiTionale Si
neconvenTionale de ultimA orA, rAmn, nsA, stAruitor complementare investigaTiilor sale pasionate n domeniul sAu, nedisimulat predilect: pictura; prilejuri, n
fapt, de a dilata, n cadrul unui demers integrator, problematica artisticA proprie universului sAu pictural. Dincolo de manipularea ingenioasA a imaginii digitale
cu mixaje inedite de tehnici, limbaje Si coduri artistice aparTinnd unor domenii artistice diverse (arte vizuale, film, muzicA), vocaTia integratoare de sorginte
postmodernA, specificA viziunii artistului, se desluSeSte n chiar modul sAu de raportare la tradiTie, prin asumarea, eminamente subiectivA (ntemeiatA pe amintire
Si reamintire) a unor valori perene proprii fondului ancestral al culturii Si civilizaTiei romneSti. Acest tip de arheologizare subiectivA privilegiazA statornic
satul ardelenesc al copilAriei Si adolescenTei artistului, topos formativ ncArcat de afectivitate, care furnizeazA creaTiei sale motive Si teme arhetipale de o
discretA relevanTA simbolicA ori metaforicA. DeterminA, mai cu seamA, o anume, fireascA situare a creatorului ntr-un orizont existenTial infuzat de sacralitate,
cuminte ornduit n timp dupA reguli stabilite printr-o ndelung verificatA experienTA a vieTuirii individuale Si comunitare, favorizndu-i descoperirea Si cultivarea
propriei lumi interioare, n consens cu datele sufleteSti proprii TAranului romn: fiorul autentic al sacrului, dorul de curATenie Si neprihAnire, bucuria de a fiinTa
n armonie cu o naturA cordialA...
Descoperindu-Si prin amintire consubstanTialitatea cu acest univers sensibil, artistul privilegiazA n chipul cel mai firesc una dintre coordonatele sale esenTiale:
lumina sursA, n ordinea naturalA, a vieTii Si a vederii Si, n ordine moral-spiritualA, a adevArului Si a dreptATii, exponent energetic sublimat al PrezenTei
supreme, de dincolo de cele vAzute. LuminA difuzA, care, n aSteptarea nfioratA a transcendentului care coboarA, aureoleazA, protejazA, mngie, nnobileazA
Si rAscumpArA, sau luminA activA, care, mpreunA cu materia coloratA Si cu desenul, construieSte forme Si imagini, sau, oglinditA n ochiuri de apA, le face mereu,
fascinant schimbAtoare. Devine, cu alte cuvinte, factorul decisiv n spectaculoasa orchestrare de realitate Si visare, de adevAr Si fantasmA, de concret Si de
abstract esenTializat, conducnd la o autenTicA, vibrantA Si persuasivA spiritualizare a viziunii.
dr. Livia DrAgoi, directorul Muzeului de ArtA Cluj-Napoca


Urmele gndului - acrIlic/GIPS-CARTON | The traces of the thought - acrylic/DRYWALL, 114 X 146 cm, 2006


Urma grdinii - acrIlic/GIPS-CARTON | The trace of the garden - acrylic/DRYWALL, 146 X 187 cm, 2006


Urmele ploii - acrIlic/pFL | The traces of the rain - acrylic/MASONITE, 114 X 146 cm, 2005


Urmele figurii - acrIlic/pnz (sus) | The traces of the figure - acrylic/canvas, 50 X 70 cm, 2005 (top) Urmele interiorului - acrIlic/pnz (jos) | The traces of the interior - acrylic/canvas, 50 X 70 cm, 2005 (bottom)


Obiect A6, Urma Ferestrei - ulei/sticl, ap, lemn, metal, LUMIN | Object A6, The trace of the Window - oil/glass, water, wood, metal, LIGHT, 24 X 19 X 14 cm, 2005, 2006

The reproductions in this catalog rely on a concept which brings up the intent of interdisciplinarity, of creative interweaving of established techniques and newer means of artistic
expression, going in three distinct directions of examining the expression of the image, configurated through a differentiated stylistic approach, in connection with the materials and
techniques used. The media of interest are:
1. Painting (pp. 4-7, 14-19) the comment of the paintings from the Traces cycle indicates a chosen road, which leads to a cleansing of the shapes through the expressive conciseness of the
gesture and through a free treatment of colour. Colour, detached from concrete, object references, becomes refined painting plasma, ever transforming and reshaping itself. The image
keeps evanescent traces of the objects filtered by memory and the discreet trace of the nostalgic reflexiveness of the artist. 2. Artistic object (pp. 8-11) the Memory Box cycle brings in the
concept of trace-image, proposing a type of plastic object made by combining the principle of obtaining the image, specific to the dark room, with the suggestions offered by the technical
procedure consecrated by Transylvanian glass painting: a reconsideration and a postmodern revalorisation of tradition, integrated in a manipulation of light achieved through contemporary
techniques. The image painted on the back of the glass is projected by a beam of light and directed on to a film of water which functions as a mirror, reflecting it in order to offer it to the
viewer as immaterial, changing and ephemereal. 3. Digital animation (pp. 20, 21) the static image, lifted from painting or drawing and turned, together with photographs, into digital raw
material, becomes dynamic frames, which through links and successive transitions contribute to the birth of film creations, which have a clearly defined subject, script and timing (the Flash
movies Memories about Thoughts and TransAppearances still frames from these films are presented in the catalog).
Radu Serban, April 2006
Reproducerile prezentate n acest catalog au la bazA un concept care pune n discuTie intenTia de interdisciplinaritate, de ntreTesere creativA ntre tehnici consacrate Si modalitATi mai noi
de expresie artisticA, apelndu-se la trei direcTii distincte de cercetare a expresiei imaginii, configuratA printr-un demers stilistic diferenTiat, n corelaTie cu materialele Si tehnicile folosite.
Mediile de interes sunt:
1. PicturA (pag. 4-7, 14-19) - comentariul picturilor care compun ciclul Urme, pune n valoare un drum asumat, care conduce la o epurare a formelor, prin concizia expresivA a gestului Si
printr-o tratare liberA a culorii, care, detaSatA de referinTele concrete, obiectuale, devine plasmA picturalA rafinatA, ntr-o continuA transformare Si reformare. Imaginea pAstreazA urme
evanescente ale obiectelor filtrate de amintire Si urma discretA a reflexivitATii nostalgice a artistului. 2. Obiect artistic (pag. 8-11) - n ciclul Cutia cu amintiri, se pune n discuTie termenul
de imagine-urmA, propunndu-se un tip de obiecte plastice realizate prin combinarea ineditA a principiului de obTinere a imaginii, propriu camerei obscure, cu sugestiile oferite de procedeul
tehnic consacrat de pictura pe sticlA din Transilvania: o reconsiderare Si o revalorizare n spirit postmodern a tradTiei, integratA unei regii luministice realizatA cu mijloacele tehnicii actuale.
Imaginea pictatA pe spatele sticlei este proiectatA de un fascicol luminos, dirijat pe o peliculA de apA care funcTioneazA ca o oglindA, reflectnd-o pentru a o oferi privitorului, imaterialA,
schimbAtoare Si efemerA. 3. AnimaTia digitalA (pag. 20, 21) - imaginea staticA, preluatA din picturA sau desen, transformatA n materie primA digitalA, alAturi de fotografii, se constituie n cadre
dinamice, care prin nlAnTuiri Si tranziTii succesive contribuie la naSterea unor alcAtuiri filmice, cu subiect, scenariu Si desfASurare temporalA, clar definite (filmele Flash Amintiri despre
gnduri Si TransAparenTe n catalog sunt prezentate stop-cadre selectate din aceste filme).
Radu Serban, aprilie 2006


Object A6, Urma Ferestrei - detaliu al interiorului | Object A6, The trace of the Window - detail of the interior

A3

A 10
10
Ciclul Cutia cu Amintiri | The memorY box cycle, 2004 - 2006

A4

A 11

A5

A0

A6

A1

A7

A2

A8

A9

11
obiecte

12
Amintire - tehnic mixt/hrtie | Memory - mixed media/paper, 100 X 170 cm, 1997

13

14
Locul sobei - acrIlic/pnz | The place of the old stove - acrylic/canvas, 114 X 146 cm, 2006

15
Locul Ferestrei - acrIlic/pFL | The place of the Window - acrylic/MASONITE, 114 X 146 cm, 2006

16
Urmele pridvorului - acrIlic/pFL | The traces of the old porch - acrylic/MASONITE, 114 X 146 cm, 2005

17
Stlpul pridvorului - acrIlic/pFL | The pillar of the old porch - acrylic/MASONITE, 114 X 146 cm, 2005, 2006

18
Improvizatii I - acrIlic/lemn | Improvisations I - acrylic/wood, 25 X 45 cm, 2005 Improvizatii II - acrIlic/lemn | Improvisations II - acrylic/wood, 25 X 45 cm, 2005 Improvizatii III - acrIlic/lemn | Improvisations III - acrylic/wood, 25 X 45 cm, 2005

19
Locul gardului - acrIlic/GIPS-CARTON | The place of the paling - acrylic/DRYWALL, 29 X 33 cm, 2005 sura - acrIlic/GIPS-CARTON | The barn - acrylic/DRYWALL, 29 X 33 cm, 2005

20
Selectii din filmul Flash Amintiri despre gnduri - colaj si animatie digital | Selections of the Flash movie Memories about thoughts - collage and digital animation, 2004

21
Selectii din filmul Flash TransAparente - colaj si animatie digital | Selections of the Flash movie TransAppearances - collage and digital animation, 2005

22
SchiTe pregtitoare pentru ciclul de obiecte Cutia cu Amintiri | Preparatory sketches for the series of objects The memorY BOX, 2004

23
SchiTe pregtitoare pentru ciclul de picturi Urme | Preparatory sketches for the series of PAINTINGS Traces, 2006

Born on 11-th of October 1960 in Cluj, Romania. Studies made at Fine Arts University from Bucharest, Romania, Painting Department (19831987). Member of the Professional Artists
Association(UAP), from Romania. Lecturer at the University of Art and Design from Cluj.
Solo exhibitions: 2006 Paintings, Objects, Multimedia The Museum of Art, Cluj-Napoca, Romnia; 2002 Paintings Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1999 Objects and Paintings
Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1998 Drawings and Paintings Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1997 - Drawings and Paintings Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1996
Drawings Pantheon Gallery, Academy of Visual Arts, Cluj, Romania; 1994 - Drawings and Paintings Accademia di Ramania, Rome, Italy; 1993 - Drawings and Paintings UAP Gallery, Cluj,
Romania; 1991 Paintings, Caminul Artei Gallery, Bucharest, Romania.Group exhibitions: 2005 - ArtEast, the exhibition of the professors from the UAD Cluj, - UAP Gallery, Cluj, Romnia;
2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 Group exhibition - Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 2003, 2002, 2001 Group exhibition - Praxis Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1999 Group exhibition Joseph
D. Carrier Art Gallery Columbus Center, Toronto, Canada; 1998 Eleventh Annual Miniature Exhibition - Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Canada; 1998 Group exhibition- Handsel Gallery,
Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A; 1997 - Group exhibition - De Boog Gallery, Ijsselstein, Holland; 1992 - Ecce Homo, Bucharest, Romania; 1991 - Ecce Homo, Cluj, Romania; 1991 - Group exhibition,
Zwolle, Holland.
Other exhibitions: 2002 Toronto International Art Fair, Toronto, Canada; 1998 International Miniature Art Biennial, Ville Marie, Quebec, Canada; 1996 - Painting Triennial, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Artworks in private collections: Canada, USA, Austria, Germany, Holland, Japan, Switzerland, Spain and Romania.
Awards: 1993 - Youth Award - Professional Artists Association Bucharest, Romania; 1993 - Bancorex Award, Romania; 1992 - Youth Award - Ecce Homo Group (collective award). UAP Romania;
1992 - S.I.B.C.O. Award, Dominus Gallery, Bucharest, Romania; 1985 - Youth Award, Professional Artists Association, Gurghiu Romania.Scholarship: 1995, Madrid, Spain; 1994, Rome, Italy.
Address: 3400 Cluj Napoca, str. Albac, nr. 23; Mobil: 00 40 0745 055 410; E-mail: CONTACT@RADUSERBAN.RO; URL: www.RaduSerban.ro
Nscut n 11 Octombrie 1960 la Cluj, Romania. Absolvent al Academiei de Arte Nicolae Grigorescu din BucureSti, secTia Pictur, n 1987. Membru al UAP din Romnia, filiala Cluj. Lector univ. la
Universitatea de Art Si Design din Cluj.
Expozitii personale: 2006 Pictur, Obiect, Multimedia Muzeul de Art din Cluj, Romnia; 2002 Pictur Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1999 Obiect Si Pictur Teodora Art Gallery,
Toronto, Canada; 1998 Desen Si Pictur Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1997 - Desen Si Pictur - Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1996 Desene Galeria Pantheon a Academiei
de Arte Vizuale Cluj, Romnia; 1994 Desen Si Pictur Accademia di Ramania, Rome, Italy; 1993 Desen Si Pictur Galeria UAP, Cluj, Romnia; 1991 Pictur, Galeria Cminul Artei, BucureSti,
Romnia.ExpoziTii de grup: 2005 ArtEast, expoziTia profesorilor UAD Cluj - Galeria UAP Cluj, Romnia; 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998 ExpoziTie de grup - Teodora Art Gallery, Toronto,
Canada; 2003, 2002, 2001 ExpoziTie de grup Praxis Gallery, Toronto, Canada; 1999 Expozitie de grup Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery Columbus Center, Toronto, Canada; 1998 Eleventh Annual
Miniature Exhibition - Michael Gibson Gallery, London, Canada; 1998 Expozitie de grup - Handsel Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A; 1998 International Miniature Art Biennial, Ville Marie,
Quebec, Canada; 1997 - Expozitie de grup - De Boog Gallery, Ijsselstein, Holland; 1996 Trienala de Pictur, Sofia, Bulgaria; 1992 - Ecce Homo, BucureSti, Romnia; 1991 - Ecce Homo, Cluj,
Romnia; 1991 - ExpoziTie de grup, Zwolle, Holland.
ncepnd cu 1988 particip la majoritatea Saloanelor naTionale Si judeTene din Romnia. Alte expoziTii: 2002 Trgul InternaTional de Art, Toronto, Canada; 1998 Bienala InternaTional
de Miniatur, Ville Marie, Quebec, Canada; 1996 Trienala de Pictur, Sofia, Bulgaria. Lucrri n colecTii private din: Canada, USA, Austria, Germania, Olanda, Japonia, ElveTia, Spania Si
Romnia.Premii: 1993 Premiul pentru Tineret al UAP Romnia; 1993 Premiul Bancorex, Romnia; 1992 - Premiul pentru Tineret al UAP Romnia (premiu colectiv); 1992 Premiul S.I.B.C.O. al
Galeriei Dominus, BucureSti, Romnia; 1985 - Premiul pentru Tineret al UAP, Gurghiu Romnia.Burse de Studii: 1995, Madrid, Spain, 1994, Rome, Italy. Address: 3400 Cluj Napoca, str. Albac, nr. 23;
Mobil: 00 40 0745 055 410; E-mail: CONTACT@RADUSERBAN.RO; URL: www.RaduSerban.ro

nabres udar

24

Radu Ioan Serban

visual artist / artist vizual
www.RaduSerban.ro
e-mail: contact@RaduSerban.ro
mobil: (00 40) 0745 055 410
MulTumirile mele:
pArinTilor, Ioan Si Eugenia,
fraTilor, CAlin Si Florin
My thanks to:
my parents, Ioan and Eugenia,
my brothers, CAlin and Florin
MulTumirile mele / My thanks to:
Sidonia
MulTumiri/ Thanks to:
Daniel Si/and Ovidiu
MulTumiri speciale:
Doamnei Livia DrAgoi, director al Muzeului de ArtA
Cluj-Napoca, Romnia
Domnului prof. univ. Ioachim Nica
My special thanks to:
Livia DrAgoi, director of the Art Museum, Cluj-Napoca,
Romnia
Ioachim Nica, consulting professor
Text critic/Text by:
Livia DrAgoi
Text explicativ/ explanatory text by:
Radu Serban
Traducere/Translation:
Victor Cherata
ConcepTia catalogului/Catalgue concept:
Sorin Iacob Trt - creative director, Zero Design Studio,
Toronto, Canada
Fotografii/Photographs:
Feleki Istvan
TipArit la/Printed by:
VHO GRUP

radu serban