Alexandru Darida

Alexandru Darida
Born May 15, 1955
Romania

Alexandru Darida, born May 15, 1955, is an artist known for his pioneering social activist art.[1] His work includes oil paintings, drawings, and acrylic sculpture that speak to such diverse subjects as the promotion of stem cell research and the politically charged relationship of man with nature.[1][2]

Early Life and Education

Born to an Italian father and Romanian mother, Darida grew up in the city of Satu Mare.[3] After graduating from the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Romania, in 1978, Darida struggled with the restraints on creative freedom imposed by the communist regime. In 1985, Darida left Romania for Italy and enrolled for studies at the Benedetti Liberal Academy of Art in Rome. In 1987, Darida sought the help of Clelio Darida (no relation), undersecretary of the Minister of the Interior, former Mayor of Rome as he was still being harassed by the Romanian government. Darida immigrated to the United States that year, where he continued his studies at the American Academy of Art in Chicago.[4]

Artistic Style and Reviews

"Sustainability"

Darida's style is associated with chiaroscuro a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark. Many of Darida's works feature, or are applied to musical instruments and/or incorporate natural and man made objects as part of the “Vibrant Expression” style. For his sculpture, he works in the medium of acrylic, and his forms are influenced by the Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși (1876-1957),.[1] Darida's sculptures use the transparency of acrylic to create layers of thin glazes, echoing the technique that he applies in his paintings.

Darida tackles controversial issues such as stem cell research, renewable green energy sources, man's place in relation to nature, and music related to the cosmic forces. He explains that color, or absence of color, as well as the shape and meaning of his work have roots in a certain universal energy.[1]

Claudia Moscovici wrote: Darida considers art to be “the soul of the people” and feels that “if you touch people’s hearts then that art will stay forever”. "Darida's women are allegorical phantasms that populate our childhood fantasies and dreams. His application of paint is both delicate and rough; soft plays of light and shadow highlight the luminosity of gold. At the same time, the vitality of heavy, swirling paint applied with a palette knife endow his paintings with a modern feel." [4]

Sarah Seamark, Editor in Chief of Art World wrote: "Darida utilizes found objects that merge elements of abstract and sculptural forms that represents a reconciliation with self and our surroundings. Their use, in combination with Darida's classic painting technique, is designed to create a distinguished, forward-looking style.”[5]

Awards and Recognition

Darida’s museum placements include the Powerhouse Museum and the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, and his work had been featured at Municipal Galleries across Romania, in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC, and the Illinois State Museum. He is the recipient of awards including the Formello-Roma International Prize for Painting [4] and the Award for Excellence in the Multimedia Miniatures Show in Romania.[6] Alexandru is heavily involved with music and paints to music. Darida often finds inspiration in the voice of his wife who is an opera singer.[1]

Awards, Charities and Affiliations

"Thoughts of an Angel"

Commissions

Portrait of Mircea Eliade

National and International Publications, Reviews and Articles

"Stem Cell Research"

Selected Exhibitions

"Virtuoso"

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Seamark, Sarah (September 2009). "Darida, Pioneer and Social Activist" (PDF). Art World News: 38.
  2. ↑ Kiley, Gabriel (January 2009). "Artists Ride the Green Wave". Art Business News 36 (1): 32.
  3. ↑ Blaskey, Joelle (May 2001). "Alexandru Darida: The Pursuit of Artistic Freedom". Art World News: 24–25.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Moscovici, Claudia (2007). Romanticism and Postromanticism. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. pp. 105–106. ISBN 978-0-7391-1674-6.
  5. ↑ Seamark, Sarah (May 2008). "New Directions, Darida’s Work a Catalyst to Preserve Nature". Art World News, May 2008: 53.
  6. ↑ Art Philadelphia. "Picasso: The Artist as Sculptor -- Coming to Art Philadelphia". Retrieved 14 February 2013.

External links