Dr. Nour Foundation for Art and Heritage: ianuarie 2012

Eugen Raportoru

A fulminatory evolution due to talent, but also to faith that the pure and honest soul and the free spirit can help you to go further even when life is against you.

Eugen Raportoru succeed to set himself free through art. Houses from his canvases are not simple landscape evocations. They are true portraits. Each house of Raportoru has soul and call up part of the artist life experience and his feelings gathered over time: shy and quiet at the beginning, then revolted, wept, sad, but still reliable and determined.

“Medgidia”, 2008, private collection

“House”, work presented at graduation of Art University, 2009, private collection

“Balcic”, 2009, private collection

“Balcic”, 2011

FOR SALE

When did you start to paint?

Since I was 12 years old. The beginning is childish. You need the chance of the people around to you otherwise is difficult to discover what you can do. The parents usually search talent of their children. I didn’t have this luck, but still I was lucky having a lot of worshops on the street I was living: 3 of painting and one of sculpture. Also, one of my neighbours was the artist Ion Brodeala who used to give me tools to paint. At the beginning I used cooking oil, but by the time I learnt what is the difference.

“Houses”, 2011

FOR SALE

So, there were few persons who helped you by the time…

Yes, the first was the artist Ion Brodeala, then the painter Mihai Cismaru, who was my mentor. Also, I had the chance to discover the great artist Corneliu Baba. I loved his works! I am still impressed now. I think is one of the deepest painters worldwide. I used to visit all his exhibitions, I saw his works at the Museum. I found out that I could reach him at Art Faculty where he was teacher. I want there, I knocked at the door and I told him: “I saw your works, but you haven’t seen mine”. All presents laught. Since then, he allowed me to visit him at work.

“Bucharest”, 2009, private collection

“Houses”, 2009, private collection

“Winter”, 2009, private collection

“Houses”, 2009, private collection

“Corner house”, 2008, private collection

“The pillar”, work presented at graduation of Art University, 2009, private collection

How was your experience with the painter Corneliu Baba?

Very productive. I learnt a lot even he never show or explain something to me. It is not needed. It was enough to be next to him. He has an extraordinary power over his students. Without telling them “do like me”, they did like him. But Corneliu Baba used to advice them that everyone to find it’s own way.

Corneliu Baba helped me a lot financial, he gave me colours and money, especially since when he found out that my father died. Not only because he took pitty on me, but because of my talent. I wasn’t just a poor kid from that street to whom you give some money and you get rid of him. Corneliu Baba invested in me. Even now, I sometime dream him.

In that period I succeed to have my first exhibition. I exhibited 30 paintings and I even sold some of them.

"Corner house", work presented at graduation of Art University, 2009, private collection

"Pillar", work presented at graduation of Art University, 2009, private collection

“Gate”, 2009, private collection

“Gate with fence”, 2009, private collection

Serving your apprenticeship with Corneliu Baba was between 1975 -1977. Why so short time?

Our relation ended undesirable. I was pupil at Nicolae Tonitza High School. Some of my colleagues and their parents compromised me just because I was gipsy. Parents thought I was ruffian and I mislead their children. I would say they teached me bad habits: as smoking. Me, I used to miss from school sometime, but I was not a ruffian. Who didn’t ever miss from school? This discrimination was unfortunately allowed and even encouraged at that time. This people and the teachers from my High School made pressure on Corneliu Baba to push me away. For fear of a public noise, the painter comply with them.

“Balcic”, 2009, private collection

“The Castle from Balcic”, 2009, private collection

“Bridge from Sighisoara”, 2009, private collection

“Houses from Sighisoara”, 2009, private collection

“Sighisoara”, 2009, private collection

So, you didn’t graduate the High School…

I didn’t graduate indeed, but I got married at 18 years old and I started to work as a house painter and the real painting remained an weekend occupation. I was a “Sunday painter”. I tried to graduate the High School, but I couldn’t because I used to be expelled because of absences.

For years, I struggled so. People say time heals. Time made me older, but healed my soul of the pain of injustices. So, I had again the power to hope. I took everything seriously and I graduate High School and much more I was admitted at the University of Art. After, I manage to get the Master in Art without I pay because I had good marks. Even more, I get scholarship and I graduated the first among my colleagues.

"White and yellow flowers", 2009, private collection

"Yellow flowers", 2011
FOR SALE

"Flowers", 2011
FOR SALE

“Flowers”, detail, 2011

The main theme of your paintings is the house. Why houses?

When I was kid, urban landscape was at hand. I was surrounded by houses. You stepped out the house and see many another houses. In 60’s I lived in a peripheral district and that area had its own poetry: houses, people, gossips. There was life. Painting houses, I started to know the houses, to see them different and to notice what is going on beyond its walls. Of course, this need experience of life and painting. Once you understand the issue, you are able to paint it well. The house has a soul because shelter people. In the house, it remains the soul of the human being and this is the beauty.

“Street with houses”, 2011
FOR SALE

“Houses”, 2011
FOR SALE

“Houses and roofs”, 2011
FOR SALE

“Houses and roofs”, detail, 2011

What are the other themes?

Nature. We are moderns, I make a shot and then I remake it in my studio. We are not in the plain-air time, the landscape can be done nowadays only in my studio otherwise it is very difficult to paint in the nature. In the studio you can change, adapt and interpret it. The studio become as a laboratory.

Until I was admitted at the Faculty I follow the Romanian Painting School. I loved it. Andreescu, Luchian, Pallady, Grigorescu, Catargi, Tonitza, Steriadi always inspired me, but I tried to keep my line and style. The school changed me: I had different vision, courage, trust in my own forces.

“Danube Delta”, 2011
FOR SALE

Regarding your chromatic, I see you preferred grey. Although, we can see darker tones and even black

Chromatic was somehow constant in my evolution. Grey is my favorite colour. Lately, I start to use dark grey because that’s the way I feel and I find myself. Black is a new proposal for the public. For my point of view, the things are simple, I think to what I know and I paint what I feel.

“Houses”, 2011
FOR SALE

“Houses”, detail, 2011

What is changed in your painting?
The approach. I believe that if there is no change, every artist become limited. Now, my approach is more courageous. Before, I was the kid who was afraid of teacher or anyone’s comments. Now, I am not afraid anymore. I can say now I am Eugen Raportoru – painter.

“Landscape”, 2011
FOR SALE

“Blue flowers”, 2011
FOR SALE

Eugen Raportoru in his workshop

How fast do you paint?
I don’t know. I have a paint started 6 months ago and I haven’t finished it yet. Also, I have paints which I finished in few hours. It is not about luck, but experience and knowledge. It happens to forget some things from what you learn, but they remain stocked somewhere in our mind and instincts. The painting become random.

“Wall, stairs and houses”, 2011
FOR SALE

“Houses in Bucharest”, 2011
FOR SALE

What it would be your future approaches?

I will have a future period when I will choose to paint portraits. I love the portrait, I like to underline countenance. Now, I am still working at houses because in May I will have an exhibition only on houses theme. Meanwhile, I explore the boats.

“Boats”, 2011

“At the shore”, 2011

“Boats”, 2011

How you would describe yourself?

I am painter. I can admit this only now even if I paint for almost 40 years . I was serious in school and in painting, I was awarded with prizes and scholarships which I never even dream of. Now, I think I deserved all. I cried of happiness. In autumn of last year I gained the Artists Union Award which surprised me very much. I apply for it just to show that I exist, but I never thought I can win the prize. The paint was sold to a collector who bought it directly from the exhibition.

Eugen Raportoru in his workshop

Do you regret something now?

I am not sorry for anything anymore. I used to regret that I wasted my youth. It was a big difference if I could become student at 20 years old and not at 40. Still I am happy it happened like this because the things are not only random. If I had the normal course, maybe now I would have nothing left to say. So, I am different, I see different, I lived disappointments who make me stronger. The grey tones that I use in my paintings are not in vain, but from my soul. I work with my soul and this can be seen on my canvas.

“Danube Delta”, 2011
FOR SALE

“Landscape”, 2011
FOR SALE

Eugen Raportoru and his paintings

Biography

Born on 8^th of December 1961, in Bucharest

Graduated of Nicolae Tonitza High School – painting section

Graduated of National University of Plastic Art, Bucharest

Graduated of Master in Art, National University of Plastic Art, Bucharest

Masters

Ion Brodeală

Afane Teodoreanu

Tatiana and Adina Paula Moscu

Appentice of Masters: Corneliu Baba and Mihai Cismaru who support him financial and artistic

Personal exhibitions

- The first exhibition at 14 years old at Griviţa Cinema

- 1978 at "Cezar Petrescu" Library

- 1979-1980 "Twinning between peoples", at House of Culture

- 1984 Comedy Theatre

- 1990 Very small Theater

- 1992 Nottara Theatre

- 2000 Art Gallery of Bucharest

- 2001 Art Gallery of Bucharest, Museum of Bucharest

- 2003 Museum of Bucharest

- 2004 Participate in two paints at Romanian Contemporary Fine Art Exhibition from Vatican

- 2004 UNESCO Romania

- 2005 Museum of Bucharest, National Theatre of Bucharest, the Romanian Embassy in Stockholm, the International Festival of Theatre “Radu Stanca” from Sibiu

- 2006 The 5th Anniversary Ceremony of Programs "Ready, Willing and Able", the National Theatre Bucharest

He provided illustration in:

- Trilingual vocabulary, Romanian-Hungarian-Gipsy Language, Publisher Vanemonde, Bucharest 2001

- Dictionary of Romanian-Gipsy Language, publisher Vanemonde, Bucharest 2003

- Biblical texts in gipsy language, published in 2002 with support from Providence Foundation

- Handbook of literacy in gipsy language for children, youth and adults, publisher Vanemonde, Bucharest 2002

Laureate at "Song of Romania" Festival

Participated in private collections in Romania and abroad: Switzerland, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, USA, Canada

N.B. Some of the works displayed above are for sale. If you want details about the painter and his paintings, please use email/telephone mentioned in Contact section.

Eugen Raportoru - world of the outcast