Mariana Sain-Morar
Education
Fine Arts
Institute of Iasi, Romania
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Art, 1982 - Major,
oil on canvas
Master in Conservation and Restoration of Fine
Art - frescos (mural painting) and Byzantine Icons - Bucharest 1987
Professional Experience
1985 - 2008 See
Personal and Group exhibitions.
Restored 15th - 19th century Romanian historical monuments belonging
to National Patrimony.
Current
Gallery representation
2007
– 2008 Agora
Gallery – Chelsea New York
Selected
Personal and Group Exhibitions
2008 “Figuratively
Speaking” – Agora Gallery, Chelsea New York
2008 “Third
Eye” – Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, Chelsea New York
2006 - 2007 Randall M. Hasson Gallery – Solana
Beach, CA
2003
- 2004 Simic Gallery – La Jolla, CA
2002
“Window into Eternity” Dadian Gallery – Washington,
DC
2000
- 2002 Svitozor Gallery
– Santa Barbara, CA
1998 Evelyn
Siegel Gallery - "Meet the Artist Luncheon" Series. Fort
Worth, Texas – One person show
1997 "Convergence of
Kinds"- A Collaboration Invitational - Irving, Texas
1995
"Millennium" - Biblical Arts Center - Dallas, Texas
1995
"Vision : America" - Juried exhibition -
Fort Worth, Texas
1995
University of Mary Harden Baylor - Belton, Texas – One person show
1995
"The song of degrees, song of ascents" - Temple, Texas – One person
show
1995
"Introspection" - Biblical Arts Center - Dallas, Texas – One person
show
1995
Navarro Council of the Arts - Juried exhibition - Corsicana, Texas
1995
Seaside Art Gallery - International Miniature Art Show
1994
International Artists Gallery - Detroit, Michigan – One person show
1994
Navarro Council of the Arts - Juried exhibition - Corsicana, Texas
1993
"Byzantine Icons" - San Antonio, Texas (two persons show)
1992
"Sacred Fire" – Beloselsky-Belozersky
Palace, Saint Petersburg, Russia – (curated by Jerry Eisley)
1991
"International Christian Artist" - Sheffield, England
1991
Alpha Gallery - "Stigma" group exhibition - Arad, Romania
1991
"Human condition and society" - "Stigma" group exhibition -
Cluj, Romania
1988
"The family" - National juried exhibition - Bucharest, Romania
1983
Juried teachers exhibition - Central Gallery - Brasov, Romania
1982
Juried exhibition for emerging artists - Arad, Romania
1981
"The Romanian artist" - juried exhibition - Oroshaza,
Hungary
1981
Student exhibition - University Gallery - Iasi, Romania
Restoration
and Conservation
1985 - 1991 Restored
the following Romanian historical monuments (frescos):
"COZIA" monastery - 15th century
"CLOCOCIOV" monastery - 16th century
"SFINTA PARASCHIVA" Orthodox Church - 17th century
"SFINTA SOFIA" Orthodox Church - 17th century
"ADORMIREA MAICII DOMNULUI" Orthodox Church - 17th century
"BISERICA ALBA" Orthodox Church - 19th century
"SFINTA TREIME" Orthodox Church - 17th century
Biography
Born in Romania, Mariana Sain-Morar received her
formal training and developed her artistic skills in her native land. During
her college years she exhibited her work in Romania and Hungary. Her
professional career began in 1982 after receiving her degree from the Academy
of Fine Art, Iasi.
While continuing to paint, she spent the next three years as an art
teacher in Predeal - Romania. In 1985 she
decided to continue her education in the restoration field. She worked for
seven years restoring old churches from the National Patrimony (14th-18th century) as part of a restoration team led by the best-known
Romanian experts in the field.
Under communism, the most somber period in Romania's artistic history, Mariana
was not often able to exhibit her art because her paintings did not fit
within the social-realist type of art that fed the Romanian dictator's
personality cult.
After the Revolution, she was accepted as a member of the Romanian Artist Union
in 1990. That same year she was able to travel and exhibit
in England. At the Tate Gallery in London she saw for the first time
paintings by Turner, which impressed her very much.
Another exhibition that included her work in Saint Petersburg followed. During
that trip to Russia, in 1991, Mariana was able to visit the Hermitage
Museum and the Museum of Modern Art in Moscow. In 1994, during a trip to
Austria she saw a retrospective of George Rouault, whose work has
influenced her own.
She is particularly known for creating in her paintings a surrealist atmosphere
without employing surrealistic technique. Basic line defines Sain-Morar's drawings:
"They
are as simple as those on the caves at Lascaux, yet more expressive with
their own personalities" - Joan Crowder.
Mariana came to the United States in 1992 and continues to work and exhibit from her studio in San Diego. Her works are in private collections in USA, England, France, Germany, Russia, Italy and Romania.