artist portofolioMATEI ENRIC

Usually, I create assembly works, object that rebuild the image like in a puzzle. The assemblage-like works create a scene by integrating the space that circumscribes the work (the wall, the vital space around the picture) that is inserted in the piece of work, becoming in this way an element of the composition. It is like a fragment recovery.

Thereby, work is not locked, and the shape is not closed, neither limited

to the frame. It is expending, on the wall, in the surrounding ambient, blending with it. And it is resulting a better communication with the viewer.

In my art, I try to penetrate in the area of the collective unconscious, where we find all the information's about our world, where you'll find archetypes and structure that leading our life.

I found that all humanity is connected to the same fears. Anguish in the face of death, and obedience to the unchangeable destiny and the fragility of hope. These traumas are of all men. In my art I do not speak only about contemporary man, the future man or the history man, but I try to reach to mankind at the deepest level. I'm interested in a key to the man's profound unrest. My vision is more spiritual in a mystical sense than religious.

Even if I live in this body, in this time, I don't find myself just an contemporary artist. I see my art more “atemporal” then contemporary.

THE DEAMON'S SLEEP2003- The National Military Circle- Round Hall- personal exhibition

The Deamon’s Sleeptempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 120 x 180 cm

Gadesses of the Eternel Sleeptempera/ wood, assembly, 4 pieces, 260 x 160 cm

The Angel’s Sleeptempera/ wood, assembly 8 pieces, 160 x 65 cm

VOLCANO2006 - Basil Gallery - personal exhibition

Volcanotempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 170 x 226 cm

Black Suntempera/ wood, assembly, 5 pieces, 143 x 160 cm

The Preyertempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 175 x 90 cm

Red Moontempera/ wood, assembly, 2 pieces, 140 x 160 cm

Fish Vomitting Mantempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 126 x 180 cm

GOTHIC2008 - La Perne Gallery - personal exhibition

The most unusual and troubling artistic forms of representation of the sacred may be the result of the mixture of Gothic and Byzantine styles, descended into a world of miracles. The exhibition entitled "Gothic" does nothing else that to demonstrate the power in which that "Gothic spirit" and Byzantine historian substrate are present in Romanian contemporary art in other forms than we are accustomed 90s neo-ortodoxism. In Matei Enric's paintings, pious atmosphere detached from the canons of the Orthodox iconography is swallowed by the obscurity of Dark Ages style. Even more, some messages are from an unsettling world of a heathen sacredness. Hi's works there are populated by knights, armourers and possessed spirits that haunt bi-dimensional worlds in search of peace. The means of expression specific to the grandeur of the Byzantine canons are turned

against iconographic content, that comes, most often, in a world anchored in the present. The byzantine canon "evokes the prototype" and keep such way a high hieratism art. Exaggerating the bizarre atmosphere, Matei uses as support of his painting wood panels joined imperfect, with irregular joints and antiquing. The composition of the whole, from fragments that seem to need attention restorers, send the art of Matei back into the mysterious times of voivodes. Painting in tempera on large wood panels, Matei Enric combine techniques of the icon with specific expressive interventions a fresco. Gothic style practiced may be associated with fantasy art, with the bizarre, the blasphemous, the mysterious and the frightening, resulting in a form of modern grotesque, wrapped and painted in a medieval calligraphy. "The holy crime" is the emblem work of the attitude of changing significance that Matei Enric gives his works. The sophisticated Byzantine "Religious" can be "desecrated" by the worst forms, rough, gothic. Applied decorative gold leaf on portion of the background, invests the bi-dimensio

-nality, with the dimension of brightness of the spirit. But Matei's images are rather about the enchanted dark forces of bygone times. Rewriting a possible history of "primitive" modern Romanian painting, Matei Enric's art makes the transition from Byzantine iconography, to a painting of non-messianic compositional interpretation, sometimes "heretical".

Cosmin NasuiCuratorsRomania Libera, 2008, June

Large panels, of old wood, reconstructed from pieces, like in a giant puzzle, take over and distilled the Byzantine rhetoric in a recovery speech. Jonah in the whale's belly saved by angels, a masterly bird, a knight without fear and without blemish astride his whirling horse, a prince languid playing a horn, a flattened angel and a fish in a chalice, as many reasons for tales that the artist narrate to modern man. Nothing in Byzantine repertoire is not overlooked. From sober and majestic colors, reduced to red, green, blue, gold and black, to the drapery materiality, and disparate fragments of indoor or outdoor decor that you will recognize from the icons, to the oriental floral motifs and gold leaf applied diligently. Not missing the wings open wide, neither inverse perspective, neither figures in foreshortened. And no iconoclast thrill not pierce, and tired eyes against the grain he may grant a bi-dimensional respite. Flattened representations, in the manner of Egyptian drawing, reveals, once again, the origins of Byzantine painting. The steep and ingenious stairs, leading to the basement gives you the same restless feeling that you penetrate

through the narrow corridor, deep in the Egyptian pyramids. It is a mobile bridge thrown between two worlds. Cross it!

Madalina MireaTime OutJune, 2008

The Holy Crimetempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 140 x 140 cm

At the Gatetempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 160 x 82 cm

The Feasttempera/ wood, assembly, 4 pieces, 85 x 120 cm

The Passingtempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 143 x 150 cm

The Archertempera/ wood, assembly, 2 pieces, 80 x 120 cm

Cavalcadetempera/ wood, assembly, 4 pieces, 140 x 140 cm

AGAPA2012 - De l’art dans mon jardin- personal exhibition

“The mystic is not exhilaration, but progress, and journey towards a certain light" (Albert Beguin, Poetry presence). With Matei the mystical journey takes aspects of walks in the past. It seems, at first, remain in a old time although it is terribly contemporary. Found it fundamentals, work on the matter, space, style. Matei invests matter giving his works the media forms they need. This is no longer a passive framework, it is an element of expression. His monumental paintings invest space around them because they can not be contemplated without being mounted and hung. They give the walls that magical mission to give them life.Matei doesn't make icons, even moderns, there is no religious label (no label at all, he claims his utmost freedom) but he describes his paintings of mystical and ambiguous, each being able to see his own interpretation. The art is a spiritual experience totally free, this journey towards progress which Beguin talked to each to see if it leads towards the light.By choosing "AGAPA" as the title Matei emphasizes the mystical and festive of the

exhibitions. Coming contemplate the works between friends is a friendly time, but a painting is always a feast. Works here go beyond aesthetics. They grow to a certain reflection and ultimately it is the spirit which is celebrated, of the artist of course, but ours too seeking to understand his work. Finally, during this opening, Matei invites us to a true happening which we are involved to realize that exposure is never a trivial experience.He transforms our perception. Matei likes to play with sense and meaning. His works modify the space, material,preconceptions. Is this Phoenix representation of immortality or inevitability? In "Confession", is to see a gesture of desire or demonic temptation? The ambiguity, obvious or not, the work displays the versatile nature of interpretation and a fortioria judgment. Each work has an element of mystery to find or to invent.It is well AGAPA, where we are invited to this festive time, before the celebration of the spirit and the reason.

François Launay

Sphinxtempera/ wood, assembly, 4 pieces, 136 x 136 cm

Out of Bordertempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 163 x 106 cm

Slavetempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 150 x 128 cm

Invocationtempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 136 x 128 cm

Portraitcollage/mixed technic, 100 x 70 cm

Protectortempera/ wood, assembly, 4 pieces, 135 x 135 cm

Splitting the Fishtempera/ wood, assembly, 6 pieces, 190 x 123 cm

Heraldicoil on canvas, 90 x 90 cm

The Hanged Man’s Thronetempera/ wood, assembly, 4 pieces, 160 x 100 cm

Creature of the Abysstempera/ wood, assembly, 2 pieces, 150 x 110 cm

The Discordtempera/ wood, assembly, 4 pieces, 88 x 150 cm

SOLVE ET COAGULA & BURNING OF ALL2013 - Alchemia Gallery / "Constantin Brancusi" hall - House of Parliament

SOLVE ET COAGULA 2013 - Alchemia Gallery

Matei Enric work is like a novel by Boris Vian: he project reality “through sideways and hot atmosphere, an uneven referential outline, corrugated and presenting distortion, as he said about himself, the author of the novel The Foam of Days.At the end of a decade of sketches, texts and drawings, in which the artist restore the approach of the medieval alchemist , we are facing a sad poem, full of a profound lyricism and grave. Matei Enric cultivate with a default erudition a fundamental ambiguity. Henproposes a mystical vision, but nondependent on a particular religion, a vision claiming iconographic repertoire of common motifs to all religions, where each one read what he want. Beyond the tragic lode, fatalist, perplexed viewer is in front of its work, witness a moment of grace. The deep silence and required for contemplation, reveals to them the most disturbing sense of this works, the eternal

and universal humantruths.Solve et coagula, is not meant to be the alchemical process that coagulate philosopher’s stone, to find the elixir of youth, or to turn a common metal in to a noble one.Solve et coagula is that magical process, loaded semantic at the sources of medieval mysticism, where religion and spirituality overlay. And last but not least, Solve et coagula is a tribute to the artist attraction to the way of understanding the world of alchemist, to which everything must go through a lengthy process of, baking and making. Nature takes her time, nothing springing up out of nothing, each bud grows, becomes, evolves. After a long process in which the artist conceived congruent forms and ideas resulted ten works, readable both together and separately, on the principle ofunity in diversity.Solve et coagula is a spiritual approach, it is opening a vault to spiritual guideline

that has to be related to destiny, destination, spiritual uprising and research to o identify thesense of becoming.It engages the contemporary man in to his humble existance, fighting into a battle that is already lost, with time’s that flowing inexorably, obliged to fulfill his short destiny, a one-way road, that leads to death andoblivion, passing through the burning of all …Man, consumed by his own desire for life, he assumes his destiny passing in this world. Like fire, it completely consumes fuel which it is his source, in the absence of atranscendent reference, this passion becomes your own pyre, burning of all, beyond doubt or evasion.And although it is accompanied by anxiety, the consumption to the end of their destiny, approaching mans to Confession, as Slave, talk about the

balance of power between dominant and dominated, in witch sensuality is non- reticent and essentialized.Death watch is about memento mori, so cruelly and abruptly, that no one outside of a museum, it would take home, to hanged on the wall.Self-flagellation (the Second Skin) is in Matei Enric’s vision, but not only his, a form of becoming. Self-flagellation speaks about three stages of the same body, purified by suffering, with the veil of the thighs – a quotation of a well known quote.Solve et coagula it’s a universal formula, a programmatic, immutable law. It engages the contemporary man in to his humble existance, fighting into a battle that is already lost, with time’s that flowing inexorably, obliged to fulfill his short destiny, a one-way road, that leads to death and oblivion, passing through. He cried out his fear into the spiral trumpet as the snake Uroboros, and is pushed before

the woman who is pregnant (such as the artwork, grow inside in his own creator). They are surrounded by hungry packs, which devours space and time.Around the cruel scenes, to compensate or highlight them, we find details of decoration of an unbearable refinement.

Madalina Mirea, Curator

2013- "Constantin Brancusi" hall

BURNING OF ALL- House of Parliament

Based on a formula established in the Old Testament, which defines the sacrificial burning of all, Matei Enric intimately probes the depths of this ritual of purification. Interpreting in a broader sense, standing in the state of contemporary man. Plastic discourse reveals the trauma for each of us. Contemporary man, lost in a maze of history, under pressure while running against it, trying to protect and profit in a fight he knows he has already lost. In this vision, the artist depicts man consumed by his own will to live. This passion becomes his own pyre, total burning, a way of being that has entered into his being, destiny and destination. The nature of his being, man can not resist or dodge in any way.The works are like a confession. Testimony about the artist himself, and his passion for art, which transforms the moment of creation, the burning of all.

Self-flagellation - The Second Skintempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 180 x 137 cm

Confessiontempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 169 x 118 cm

Death Watchtempera/ wood, assembly, 4 pieces, 113 x 169 cm

Solve et Coagulatempera/ wood, assembly, 2 pieces, 185 x 185 cm

Phoenixtempera/ wood, assembly, 2 pieces, 167 x 74 cm

In Absentatempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 135 x 135 cm

Hetairaoil/carton, assembly, 3 pieces, 225 x 75 cm

The Cult of Caintempera/ wood, assembly, 2 pieces, 180 x 130 cm

The price of surrendertempera/ wood, assembly, 2 pieces, 160 x 123 cm

Ataraxiatempera/ wood, assembly, 3 pieces, 130 x 180 cm

2013 - Occidentului Gallery

REBUILDING THE FRAGMENT

Matei Enric works carry a strong personal and spiritual touch, the spears from his speech represent the price to pay for giving up the fight, for the illusion of hope, loneliness and for losing faith, for the eternity of the human character as well as for the interpersonal breaches that justify the breach in the history of human nature related to the principles of life.The phrase “Rebuilding the fragment” defines in the best way my artistic approaches. My works rebuild the image like in a puzzle game, and so the fragment is rebuilt. It's a game. Like the restoration of frescoes, an image recovery or the reconstruction of a visual assembly, the viewer is invited to fill up the empty spaces, in his mind, with imagination.On the other hand, the formula “Rebuilding the fragment” has a personal approach. It is about hope. About restoring the bond with yourself, with your universe, and in this way about regaining trust. Your world may be shattered, but always you can pick up the pieces together and rebuilt the assembly. Finally “Rebuilding the fragment” defines a

spiritual rebirth, an inner regeneration.

Detoxicationoil/canvas, 60 X 50 cm

Self Portraitoil/canvas, 60 x 50 cm

Le Devoreuroil/canvas, 140 X 140 cm

Radiography of painoil/canvas, assembly, 2 pieces, 135 x 50 cm

Burning Manoil/canvas, 60 x 40 cm

Overwelming coldoil/canvas, 80 x 60 cm

Portraittempera/paper, 30 x 21 cm

Do you feel lost and empty?oil/canvas, 60 x 40 cm

UNBOUNDEDNESS 2015 - Signum Gallery

Every new territory that we happened to visit, even hypothetically, reflects itself as in a mirror in our souls, and it’s helping us expand our boundaries. Let’s try for one moment to imagine that we’re not eternally anchored in this world, that we can travel through the Universe until time and space cease to exist. Let’s try for one moment to imagine that we successfully leave the eternal wrangle of this world, that we free ourselves from the barriers of our own nature, from the spiral of

conventions that help us survive, in a place where there is no suffering, no joy, neither life,nor death, neither zero,nor infinite. And if we look back we will be turned into a pillar of salt as was Lot’s wife. It will be revealed to us how small we are in this huge context and how small all our things are. And where are we? Where is this bundle of mud called Earth? What is the importance of our passions, all those things in which we invest so much energy and around which our entire existence revolves? What is the importance of our whole history, seen from a distance of 70 million light years away? Vanity of vanities, all is vanity! (Ecl 12:8)

existence, this carousel of joy and sorrow. As we look out into the clear night sky that embraces us, we will see all Universe as an Abyss. A bottomless pit above our heads. Acknowledging it, it will be reflected in us.

My exhibition is an exhibition of landscapes. A voyage of thousands light years to other worlds that take shape in my mind. Pictures taken by the space probes and the Hubble telescope become the motifs of my abstract paintings. A Universe where monumental forces contract and dilute space and time. We are passing beyond the ordinary and the known, leaving behind the

Event horizonoil/canvas, 100 x 140 cm

Singularityoil/canvas, 90 x 90 cm

Morning springoil/canvas 80 x 50 cm

Inner coreoil/canvas, 70 x 50 cm

Titan rainoil/canvas, 70 x 50 cm

Solar explosionoil/canvas, 68 x 120 cm

Solar landscapetempera/cardboard, 70 x 50 cm

To my eternal star field domainoil/canvas, 70 x 50 cm

______________________________SOLO EXHIBITIONS

BIOGRAPHY

______________________________

2015 – “UNBOUNDENESS” - Signum Gallery

2014 – “REBUILDING THE FRAGMENT” -Occidentului Gallery

2013 – “BURNING OF ALL” - The exhibition hall “Constantin Brancusi” – House of Parliament

2013 – “SOLVE ET COAGULA” - Alchemia Gallery – curator Mădălina Mirea

2012 – “AGAPA” - De l’art dans mon jardin - curator François Launay

2011 – “HERALDIC” – Stephan B./Salon de The

2008 -“GOTIC” – “La Perne” Gallery - curator Cosmin Năsui

2006 – “VOLCANO” - Basil Gallery

2003 -“THE DEAMON SLEEP” - The National Military Circle- Round Hall

GROUP EXHIBITIONS______________________________

2017 - The National Salon of Art “Temeiuri” with the theme “Sleep and Dream” - The exhibition hall “Constantin Brancusi” – House of Parliament

-Dimitrie Gusti National Village Museum

2016 -”THE CONTEMPORARY VALORISATION OF MEDIEVAL ART” – The National Library - Bucharest

2015 – “HUMAN AGAINST LIFE” - Arts in Bucharest 6th edition – – curator Alexandra Titu

– “ADD TO ADDRESS BOOK” - Art Safari; The Museum of the Romanian Peasant; MOYA (Vienna) –

2014– Art Safari art fair –first edition -“UN-FINISHED” -Colony Art Gallery – curator

Raluca Băloiu

2013 – “CELEBRATION” - Odeon Gallery - “SUBJECTIVE HISTORIES” – 72 A Gallery –

curator Mihaela Munteanu – Streck

2011– „Perspectives” - Irecson Gallery –“I am” - Romanian Ambassy from Washington ,

SUA -Public Library – Washington, SUA

– “IDENTITY” - French Institute from Bucharest curator Ruxandra Demetrescu and Armelle Le

Saint Dezauzié

2010 – “Angels and Demons, Exchange Market” -THE ARK – The Cultural Center “Gradac” – Rasca (Serbia)

– „TRANSIENT” -The Lobby Art Space – „GESTURES AND SIGNS” - Frezia Gallery

–(Dej) – The Old Court Palace – National Salon of

Medieval Art – „AMORPHOS/METAMORPHOSIS” - Irecson

Gallery - curator Victoria Anghelescu – The Cultural Center Valery Larbaud, 54-th

Salon of Bourbonnais Art- Vichy (France)

2009 - „POINT OF VIEW” - Art Point – Studio Arte

2008 – “PAINTING/OBJECT” - D’art Gallery - Aiud, Alba

–„ACCENT” - Apollo Gallery – – „7-1” - Artis Gallery – „AltCEVA” - La Scena Club – “A Symphony of Symbolism” - Agora Gallery

– New York, SUA.

2007 –„DIRECTIONS” -Apollo Gallery -“TWO” - Hotel Elizeu Bucharest -The International Fair of Visual Arts

2006 -“CONTEMPORARY ROUTES” - Societa Club Unesco

2005 -The Foundation Galery /Baku Art Gallery

2004 -“The Unlined Ones- Requiem for a Bloody Christmas”-third edition - Art Point

-“The Splendid Romania” - The Foundation Galery- National salon of romanian landscapes

2001- ” There, Over There, Here Nothing for You” -The Cultural Projects Centre M.A.D.-

-“From the Gifts of the Three Kings” - Arcub Hall

2000 – “The Night Light” - The Serbia Embassy

Works in collections in: Romania, Serbia, Italy,U.S.A., Hungary, France.

https://matei-enric.blogspot.ro/