A fragile balance in which every word is carefully measured before being said, an emotional charge that has the instability and fear of walking on eggshells.

My mother always cared too much about "what the world says" and, in particular, what our relatives will say.

Compared to her, I never cared and maybe this is where most of the differences of opinion between the two of us started.

Over the years, these differences have become more pronounced, but we have somehow learned to avoid them when we talk to each other.

My mother always returned to her roots

 I uprooted most of them when I left Romania.
  
  
Handmade cotton paper, egg shells, plant roots on cardboard, 18"x 16", finished on June 21st, 2023

  

Conversations With My Mother

"Fragments of Solitude" is a evocative mixed media artwork that serves as a visual testament to the profound emotions experienced by a soldier during wartime. Through a combination of personal letters sent to his mother, a medal of good conduct, and collaged elements over a newspaper from that era, the artwork captures the poignant nostalgia and painful reality of war.

The overall tone of "Fragments of Solitude" is one of melancholic nostalgia and painful remembrance. The mixed media elements coalesce to create a visually layered and textured composition, evoking a sense of longing, isolation, and the haunting memories of war. The artwork invites viewers to reflect upon the soldier's personal journey, the sacrifices made, and the enduring impact of war on individuals and their families.

Through the combination of letters, the medal of good conduct, and the collage of newspaper fragments, "Fragments of Solitude" serves as a poignant tribute to the soldier's emotional turmoil, capturing the indelible marks left by war on his psyche and the bittersweet longing for a sense of connection and home in times of great hardship.
  
  
Cotton paper, soil, painting mediums, vintage newspaper collages, vintage photos, “Good Conduct” Medal, vintage watches on a 20”x 16” cardboard, framed. July 2023

Fragments Of Solitude

"Bound Beauty" is a thought-provoking mixed media artwork that uses symbolism to depict the lack of freedom imposed by societal beauty standards. The centerpiece of the artwork is a pair of white wings, representing the innate desire for personal expression, uniqueness, and liberation. However, these wings are depicted as being cruelly stapled to the ground, symbolizing the constraints and limitations placed upon individuals by the oppressive beauty norms.

The wings, crafted with intricate details, evoke a sense of delicate beauty and purity. Each feather is meticulously depicted, showcasing the ethereal nature of these symbolic appendages. However, the presence of sharp, cold staples piercing through the wings signifies the forceful imposition of beauty standards, restricting the freedom of self-expression.

The juxtaposition of the delicate wings and the harshness of the staples creates a powerful visual contrast. It highlights the conflict between the innate desire for personal authenticity and the oppressive pressure to conform to societal expectations. The artwork serves as a critique of the beauty industry, media, and societal norms that confine individuals within narrow definitions of attractiveness.

  
Cotton paper, puzzle, acrylics, soil, painting medium, feathers, staples on cardboard.

22"x 18"x 1" framed, July 2023

  

Bound Beauty

Time is something that we don't doubt all our life that we have in abundance - and yet, it is what we lack the most.

  
Vintage watches, copper wires, copper foil, India Ink, soil, gold spray on cotton paper, encapsulated in 16"x 12" plexiglass, finished on July 5th, 2023

  

We Thought We Had Time

A puzzle, once vibrant, concealed by feathers white,

Now veiled in deceit, a disheartening sight.

The serpent of mistrust, its fangs dripping lies,

Coiled around their hearts, as trust slowly dies.

  
Cotton rag paper, soil, puzzle, feathers, snake skin, egg shells. 11"x 13", framed finished on June 30th, 2023.

  

Fractured Serenity

My father passed away at 6 a.m. on a cold January morning. 

He was in Romania.

I was in the United States and I wasn't able to hug him and say goodbye. 

My father had an old Russian watch. He was always on time.

I was too late for our last meeting.

My father still speaks to us, beyond death, through a recorded message. That message is written here with soil I took from his grave.

On his last night on this earth, the star map looked like the one on the left. The map of my grieving looks like the one on the right, marked by wax tears falling from the candles lit in his memory.

He took the stars. I've got the candles.

  
Handmade cotton rag paper, India Ink, chrome pen, soil, wax, vintage Russian watch, scanned letters (my father's handwriting) on cardboard. 22"x 18", framed, finished on June 27th, 2023.

  

He Took The Stars

On November 14, 2021, at 4:44 - the magic hour when angels shake the glittering dust off their wings - our angel, Viviana, my first grandchild, ceased to exist.

Until then, she has been, in turn, a great desire, then a great joy, then a heartbeat on the monitor, devastating news and, in the end, one of the hardest decisions a person is forced to make, ever.

For this piece I chose delicate elements, to suggest the new life that is born in a woman's womb - on a sheet of paper I sewed with my own trembling hand the rhythm of Viviana's life, as it was recorded. 

Fragility and fear. Each stitch of the needle carried the risk of destroying the paper and the rhythm itself, as we felt that each day could bring, in addition to joy, an unknown risk and an immense responsibility towards the new life that was being formed.

The thin silk thread had to be handled with care, so as not to get tangled. The entire execution of this piece was charged with tension and with the fear of destroying it inadvertently or hastily.

Viviana's life is a story that ends abruptly and unfairly. Her story is engulfed in flames- like the stories of thousands, tens of thousands of other children. 

Golden dreams, shattered dreams, questions, sufferings, attempts to make sense of such catastrophes always and forever remain behind them.

  
Cotton paper, paper, silk thread, acrylic medium, liquid chromium marker on a 20"x 15" cardboard.

June, 2023

  

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Doina Iacob