ARTIST STATEMENT
EXHIBITION HISTORY
GALLERIES
MY FAVORITES


Artist Statement -



ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Leyla Munteanu


I have always felt a special connection with textural surfaces and the human figure. The beauty and strength in human features was a preferred subject in my work. Now I am focusing on the nostalgic. My love for the human figure has evolved into an interest in what they leave behind. Human marks left on objects and surfaces over time become more important than representation of the people who made the marks.

I find my inspiration in immediate surroundings, and I hope that my work will lead the viewer to see the beauty that I see. First impressions are everything. Most often my depictions of those experiences are simply my way of saying “you should see what I saw!” Each piece has special meaning to me, which will not necessarily be the same meaning the viewer may attach to it. Art tells us something about ourselves and my work is the world as I see it, a world that brings back memories.

I grew up in Bucharest Romania, a town marked by a long history; every place was worn by time or human nature. I’m still amazed by my memories of these places. All my new work involves transforming the memories of those places into works of art.

I enjoy taking pictures; they are valuable references for my work and help to capture the subject in that certain moment in just a fraction of a second. Vibrancy, color, texture and emotion, the potential is there to add my unique and personal touch and bring to life a photograph that to me may only be a flat and lifeless representation of reality.

Currently my work reflects how the subject matter records “time,” or more precisely, how time changes our surroundings and how we in time affect our surroundings.

Artist Exhibitions



Solo exhibitions:
2013 -“Behind the walls”, Art Community Center, Leamington, On, Canada
2012 - “Shapers of Time”, Art Community Center, Leamington, On, Canada
2011- Memories of Passing Time, Open Gallery of Art &Architecture, Toronto, On, Canada
2011-“Conversations”, Art Community Center, Leamington, On, Canada
2008 – “Behind the skin and surfaces” Common Ground Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada
2007 - “Roma La Cita Eterna”, Common Ground Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada
“Portraits”, Artspeak Gallery, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
2006 - “Drawings 2006”, Artspeak Gallery, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
2005 - Artspeak Gallery, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
2004 - Artspeak Gallery, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
1980 -“My Family” Visual art exhibit at “Casa de Cultura” Hunedoara, Romania (Oil paintings)

Group and Juried exhibitions:
2014 – Michelangelo Prize 2013, Gadarte Art Gallery, Florence, Italy
2013-2014 – ITINERA 3a Edizione 9 Italian cities (Traveling Exhibition) Sept 2013 –April 2014
2013 – 14th Edizione Premio Europeo TINDARI Terzomillennio, Messina, Italy
2013 – Fiere Arte Padova, 24a Mostra Mercato di Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, Padova Italy
2013 – Creative Rising New York City, October 2013
2013 – Il Segno juried exhibition, Palazzo Racchetta, Ferrara, Italy
2013 – Nel Segno Della Figurazione, Il Tempio art gallery, Palermo, Italy
2013 – Ordinary Everyday Objects juried exhibit, Still Point Art Gallery, USA
2013 – Incontro Artistico Italo-Francese, Gubio, Italy
2013 – Artisti dal Mondo, Juried art Exhibition, Monbarocio, Italy
2013 – 3 Members Shows, Art Community Center, Leamington, On, Canada
2013 - Mostra di Selezione-10a Biennale D’Arte Internazionale Roma, citta di Fiorenzuola D’Arda, Italy, in wich I was selected to participate with the mixed media work ”Two Red Pins”
2013 - Incontro Artistico Italo-Belga, Gubio, Italy
2013 - May Group exhibition, Broadway Gallery, New York, USA
2013 - 8th International Contemporary Art Exhibition “The Golden Plaque of Gubbio City Award”
2013 - 12th Grand Premio Internationale Dell’Arte 2013, Galleria IL Colezionista, Rome, Italy, Traveling show: Rome, Milan, Helsinki, Berlin.
2013-Toronto Art Expo , International Art Festival, Toronto, On. Canada

2012- “SPOLETO” Festival, Rome, Italy
2012 - “Heinz”, Juried Exhibit, Art Community Center, Leamington, On, Canada
2012 - Members Show, Art Community Center, Leamington, On, Canada
2012 – “Odd Universe“, Milk Cofee Bar Gallery, Windsor Ontario
2010 -“ArtWalk”, Walkerville BIA, Windsor, ON, Canada.
2010 -WSU MFA Thesis Exhibition 1, College of Fine, Performing & Communication Arts
Gallery, Detroit, MI, USA
2009 – “BEHR”, Detroit, MI, USA
2012-Shapers of Time, Art Community Center, Leamington, On, Canada
2010 – “Terra Firma”, Art Community Center, Leaminghton, On, Canada
2010– “Art on the Border”, Gibson Gallery, Amherstburg, On, Canada
2009 – “Shutter and Brush”, Gibson Gallery, Amherstburg, On, Canada
2008 - “Consistency and Change”, Work gallery, Detroit, MI, USA
West Hancock Gallery Winter group show, Hancock, Detroit, MI
2007 - 2nd Annual Utrecht Miniature Painting Competition
2007 - “Eclecktika”, Lebel Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada
2006 - Curatting and exhibiting, the small group show -“Caimac”, Lebel Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada
2007“Self Portrait”, Lebel Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada,
Altered books, University of Windsor, Glass case Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada
Book Fest Windsor,” Book Altering”, performance piece, Art Gallery of Windsor, Windsor, ON, Canada
The International Exhibition ”Caragiale” by Cartoonists Rights Network, Ploiesti, Romania, (the work is included in “Cartoonists Rights Network” permanent collection)
“The 20th Anniversary extravaganza”, Common Ground Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada
Just Paint, Artrom Gallery, Rome, Italy
1st Annual Desmond Juried Art Exhibition, Renaissance Art Gallery-Ridgetown, Ontario
Pastel Artists of Canada Members show, Gallery Old Chelsea, Quebec.
2005 -The American Juried Art Salon Exhibition
Birmingham Watercolor Society “Winter Exhibition”- RBSA Gallery, Birmingham UK.
“Harvest of Fashion and Art”, The Chatham Capitol Theatre Association, Chatham, Ontario
Purely Pastel 14th Annual Open Juried Show, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
“8mm”, group show-photography, Lebel Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada.
2004 - “Purely Pastel 13th Annual Open Juried Exhibit”, Women’s Art Association Gallery, Toronto, ON, Canada.
“Celebrating Diversity”, Renaissance Gallery, Ridgetown, On, Canada
“Zeitgeist”, Lebel Gallery, Windsor, ON, Canada
“ArtWalk”, Walkerville BIA, Windsor, ON, Canada.
2003 - Group Exhibition-Purely Pastel 12th Annual Open Juried Exhibition. Art Gallery Algoma, Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Canada
1990-“All About Clay”-at Gallery “Scoala de Arta Populara Bucuresti”, Bucharest, Romania
Publication
The article: LAM Collapflex (A printing process that uses a surprising material…), ARTitude magazine, Issue <22 (Autumn2006),
“The New Masters of Fantasy 2005”-CD collection, Epilogue Gallery.
Artwork included: “Will you come?”-Acrylic,” Hydra”-acrylic, Adaptation”-oil, fantasy art.
“The New Masters of Fantasy2004” Epilogue Gallery, CD collection; Included artwork: “The Warrior”-oil on canvas, illustrative fantasy art.
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Artist Collections



Numerous private, corporate, museum, gallery and government collections detailed information coming soon.

Artist Favorites