Radu Oreian – Thiars, Fountain of Youth
Gallery Nosco presents ‘Thiars, Fountain of Youth’ a solo exhibition by Radu Oreian
From November 16 – December 23, 2023
Radu Oreian’s solo exhibition is a deep dive into an artistic world where the boundaries between the mediums of drawing and painting blur to reveal an exploration of how history, ancient myths and archives shape our society and our understanding of humanity. In a world where attention is often superficial, Radu Oreian’s works stand out for their depth and complexity. Radu’s paintings breathe life, pulsating with minute detail that aims to draw the viewer’s eye ever deeper into the nature and meaning of the painting. Each brushstroke seems to tell a story, and each detail conceals a profound meaning, creating an immersive artistic experience. His paintings invite us to reflect on the duality of life and death, of the body through youth and old age, with always an underlying theme: human frailty.
‘Thiar, Fountain of Youth’ draws its inspiration from Lucas Cranach’s iconic Fountain of Youth, a masterpiece of 16th-century Western painting. This painting depicts women quenching their thirst with the rejuvenating water, believing in the eternal youth promised by this miraculous spring. Water symbolises immortality, as a purifying and invigorating force. Radu Oreian uses this theme to create works that explore the complexity and finitude of the human body. In today’s context, where social networks expose images of the self that are often idealised and rigid, the cult of the body has never been so much in the spotlight. Radu Oreian confronts us with our own questions through richly detailed paintings, inviting the viewer to explore multiple possible interpretations. His works encourage us to reflect on the quest for eternal youth, and the acceptance of life as it is, with its imperfections and ephemeral beauties.
In short, Radu Oreian’s exhibition is a plunge into a world where painting becomes a meditation on history, mythology, life and death, while questioning the place of the body in our contemporary society. The artist offers us a profound and immersive visual experience, inviting us all to explore the layers of meaning and beauty hidden in his fabulous pictorial language.
Radu Oreian (b. 1984, Tarnaveni, Romania) lives and works in Marseille, France.
His practice has at its core the classical mediums of drawing and painting and explores the way history, ancient myths and archives shape our society and our understanding of humanity. He awarded his first degree in 2005 at the University of Art and Design of Cluj-Napoca and he continued his studies at National University of Art of Bucharest where he graduated in 2007. He has been the protagonist of several solo-shows: Befriending the memory muscle, New SVIT Gallery (Prague, 2020, with Ciprian Mureşan), Microsripts and Melted Matters, Gallery Nosco (London, 2019), Farewell To The Thinker of Thoughts, Gallery ISA (Mumbai, 2018), The Galvanic Skin Arousal, Gallery Nosco (Marseille, 2017) . Among his institutional projects: Taubmann Museum of Art (Roanoke, 2023, Romanian group exhibition), La Fondazione, Project Room (Roma, 2020, solo-show), The Last Agora, Plan B Foundation (Cluj-Napoca, 2019) and Chasseur d’Images, Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (Paris, 2019). Among his group shows: One in a million, Gallery Nosco (Marseille, 2018) and On The Sex of Angels, Nicodim Gallery (Bucarest, 2017). Oreian’s works have been acquired by Taubmann Museum of Art, Roanoke, VA, La Foundazion, Rome, Italy and Sandretto Collection, Milan, Italy.