A LUXURIOUS BOUQUET
Best in Mixed Media, Aurora Juried Art Show 2024 |
GALLERY RING— Your artworks of gardens are made individual with the specification of a different location in every title. Are the colour, flower and motif choices driven by the respective nation’s customs, climate, architecture, textiles or history — or are they driven by something more abstract, elusive and personal? How many pieces are in this series and is it complete or still in production?
MM -- My Walking In The Garden series is built around the idea that each work carries its own distinct identity. Every piece is defined by a specific attribute — sometimes it is a dominant colour (pink, red, pastel, blue, golden, indigo), a particular mood (joyful, playful, smiling) or a single flower (magnolias, petunias, wildflowers) that guides the composition. Other times, it is inspired by a culture I explored (Florentine, Persian, Spanish) or a place I have visited (Cuba, Tahiti, Italy) and other times by symbols (fish, butterflies) and elements of fashion (Hermes, Swarowski). In terms of numbers in this series, I sometimes feel unstoppable. This sense of continuity is very important to me. The series is not something I aim to complete but something I want to develop over time. |
GALLERY RING — Sometimes surprising, man-made items can be spotted — almost hidden and not immediately obvious — in your pictures. What makes you invite these hard, sharp materials and objects — almost alien visitors — to the soft, gentle and natural bouquets?
MM -- I simply resist predictability. In my work, especially in the Bouquets series, the familiar forms of bouquets and the flowers are recognizable — this is a quick invitation to enjoy the beauty and the fragility of nature. Then, I intentionally introduce elements considered unexpected such as fragments of shiny metal, sparkling jewellery, buildings, windows, lamps and disruptive components. In this way, I discovered that a deeper, more subtle harmony can emerge which invites the viewers to a slower, more attentive way of looking and engaging emotionally. Unpredictability, for me, is a way to keep the work open, active and continuously evolving. |
Honorable mention, FCA Toronto Open Juried Show March/April 2026
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GALLERY RING— What inspires your work? Which artists or art periods do you admire and in what way do these influences impact your art and show up on your canvas? With whom do you feel you share a similar spirit or aesthetic approach?
MM — During my artistic years, I got influenced by the Romanian painters, my art teachers in school, local Canadian artists, Vincent van Gogh, Matisse and Klimt's stunning work. Lately, I discovered the work of the contemporary artist Robert Kushner, whose approach has significantly influenced and helped shape my artistic direction. His passion for flowers and greenery resonates deeply with me — a connection I have felt since a very young age. |
About Me. BIOGRAPHY
"Manuela's use of mixed media captures a bird"s eye view of an abstracted topography in this unique and expressive artwork... As we approached the piece, the work gradually revealed itself to us as we realized how creatively the artist has intertwined the mark-making, texture application, and collage."
MILL POND AWARD, Stephanie Schirm and Jeff Nye |
70th OPEN JURIED EXHIBITION Colour and Form Society, 2022, 3RD PLACE
"The mixed media collage technique is exquisite. The drawing aspect brings intrigue and pulls you in repeatedly. It has mystery and enchantment." |
Romanian-born Manuela Moldovan lives and works from her home studio in Toronto. She is a self-taught mixed media collage artist and an elected member of the Colour and Form Society. Educated and the practice as a pharmacist contributed to her genuine creativity, which has grown over time. She returned to a full-time art practice in 2017. Manuela started painting with oil colors on stretched canvas using a brush and palette knife under the influence of traditional local artists. Over the years, she was captured by the depth and complexity of mixed media and fell in love with the texture, volume, dimensions, the overall visual effect. In her artworks the aquatic element frequently returns, like an obsession, either the edge of a lake seen from above, a simple puddle after rain, or the reflections of a forest in the water. Her spirit is bright, solar, and it is reflected in most of the paintings. Whether it's a cold but sunny November day, or a bright spring day, the artist's intention is to introduce a moment, a state of mind, a simple invitation to experience nature. Her artworks are a true homage to life and love, dynamism and movement, inspiring the viewer. They are bold and textured as the human environment. Manuela's artworks are accepted in juried exhibitions organized by the Canadian Society of Artists, Colour and Form Society, Canadian Art Daily, Markham Group of Artists, The Marketer magazine, Art Gallery Ring, Richmond Hill Group of Artists, Aurora Juried Show, The Jackalope Gallery, Preston Gallery, and represented by BLOOM Galerie in Montreal..
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