By: Mason Agatha
Romanian artist Radu Oreian will return to 1969 Gallery to present That Magic Light. He last exhibited at the gallery in 2022 with his solo show, A Sea of Green and Blue. Oreian’s works are in the collections of the Taubmann Museum of Art (Roanoke, VA), La Foundazion (Rome, Italy) and Sandretto Collection (Milan, Italy).
Opening on Tuesday, May 6th, That Magic Light transports us into the inner workings of the artist’s mind, asking the audience the ultimate ontological question of what it means “to be.” Oreian creates a universe containing endless intersections—art combines with history, mythology, pop culture, and philosophy. In introspection, he attempts to make sense of “the artist life,” inviting the viewer to become an accomplice in his ongoing journey to enlightenment; fostering an environment in which the viewers allow themselves to reflect alongside him and follow That Magic Light.
Working figuration and abstraction, his paintings simultaneously explore large-scale themes of art history and memories interwoven with his personal narrative of discovery as an artist. A key motif in the collection, That Magic Light is an abstract representation of the Oreian’s creative mission, which guides “the artist”— Oreian’s alter-ego— through his creative process.
Ancient ambers, medieval tapestries and discolored bottles adorn Oreian’s work, giving it an archaeological significance. Intricate visual easter eggs are littered throughout, drawing from the vast stylings of religious frescoes, famous artworks, family trinkets and pop culture knick-knacks. The final product, completed using ultra-fine tip brushes, becomes a tapestry of details unfolding before the audience’s eyes, drawing them further in, the deeper they look. His brush strokes transition between layered fine points and soft billowing lines, giving the spaces he constructs an organic quality, as if the spaces exist within the biology of an omnipotent being.
About Radu Oreian
Radu Oreian (b. 1984, Tarnaveni, Romania) currently lives and works in Marseille, France. He was 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. Radu Oreian’s practice has at its core the mediums of drawing and painting and explores the way history, ancient myths and archives shape our society and our understanding of humanity. His ‘Molecular Paintings’ are miniature-like format of works that pulsate with details intended to draw the viewer’s eye deeper and deeper into the weave of the paint and the nature and meaning of painting
Radu Oreian has been the protagonist of several solo-shows: 1969 Gallery, A sea of green and blue (New York, 2022), New SVIT Gallery, Befriending the memory muscle (Prague, 2020, with Ciprian Mureşan), Gallery Nosco, Microsripts and Melted Matters (London, 2019), Gallery ISA, Farewell To The Thinker of Thoughts (Mumbai, 2018).
Among his institutional projects and group exhibitions: The Three Graces, Unit London (London, England 2024) La Fondazione, Project Room (Rome, Italy, 2020, solo-show), The Last Agora, Plan B Foundation (Cluj-Napoca, Romania 2019) and Chasseur d’Images, Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature (Paris, France 2019). Among his group shows: One in a million, Gallery Nosco (Marseille, France 2018) and On The Sex of Angels, Nicodim Gallery (Bucarest, Romania 2017).
Find Radu on Instagram: @raduoreian
About 1969 Gallery
Founded in September 2016, 1969 is a contemporary art gallery in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood. Through solo / group / external exhibitions and art fair presentations, the Gallery has cultivated the careers of its represented artists and a broader community of artists primarily devoted to painting.
Find 1969 Gallery on Instagram: @1969gallery or visit www.1969gallery.com
Published by Jeremy S.
