Iulian COPACEL

My artistic journey began at the age of 10 when my family visited my uncle, a surveying engineer with a passion for painting flowers. Despite his professional background, he dedicated his Sundays to creating art in his balcony workshop. Witnessing...

My artistic journey began at the age of 10 when my family visited my uncle, a surveying engineer with a passion for painting flowers. Despite his professional background, he dedicated his Sundays to creating art in his balcony workshop. Witnessing the magic unfold, I saw my first blank canvas, the vibrant color palette, and the various tools essential to a painter’s craft. On that memorable day, my uncle gifted me a brush, and it felt like the most enchanting present I could ever receive. This pivotal moment ignited a spark within me, revealing my true calling. By the age of 12, I eagerly enrolled in the High School of Art in my city, marking the official beginning of my artistic journey. I can’t claim that I was initially drawn to a specific subject, but I’m certain that what I liked and found captivating was femininity. My artistic journey began with portraits, including nudes in pastel. I sensed a magnetic pull towards this theme, particularly in portraying women. The evolution of my art took a natural turn towards dance and its movements. Given my love for music and admiration for those who dance, I experimented with drawings featuring ballerinas, deeply inspired by Degas’ paintings. In one of my early exhibitions, a visitor, having seen my works before they were mounted, enthusiastically inquired of the exhibition organizers, “Will there be an exhibition with Degas!?” That moment became a turning point, prompting me to delve further into developing my own unique style. As I engaged in various projects for corporate offices, I began uncovering new solutions and potentials within my artistic style. Guided by the consistent advice of one of my teachers – “Use the expression of your line of drawing” – I explored different styles, ranging from impressionism to abstract. This exploration deepened my understanding of artists like Jackson Pollock. I delved into numerous techniques, such as pastel, pencil, watercolor, charcoal, and acrylic. Each medium brought something new, yet I constantly grappled with the notion of adhering to academic rigor in my creative pursuits. In January 2019, I made a deliberate decision to take a sheet of paper and draw without preconceived notions, eliminating any predetermined ideas. This approach led to the gradual emergence of new elements, distinctly different from my previous works and increasingly mature. A serendipitous event occurred after watching Jackson Pollock’s film multiple times – the desire to transition from drawing to painting. Despite an unintentional mishap where a favored brush bent while stored in a jar, this incident prompted me to experiment further. Using diluted acrylic with the consistency of a thicker cough syrup marked the beginning of a new artistic direction. Currently, my distinct style is gaining recognition. It provides me with maximum freedom of expression, allowing me to highlight the beauty of dance, the fluidity of movements, the dynamic nature of composition, and an overall sense of freedom.