Painter & Iconographer
Elena Murariu was born on the 29th of June 1963, in Zvoristea, Suceava district, Romania. She began to study fine arts at the age of 10 at the School of Music and Fine Arts in Botosani. She continued her studies at the High-School of Music and Fine Arts “Octav Băncilă” in Iaşi. In 1987, she graduated the Institute for Fine Arts “Nicolae Grigorescu” (actually the National University of Arts) in Bucharest, section of Monumental Art – Restoration, led by prof.univ. Ion Stendl, prof.univ. Dan Mohanu.
In 1990, she participated with graphics works at the Romanian Artist Union Fellowship Exhibition and, also in 1990, she achieves her first personal exhibition at ”Vasile Pârvan” museum in Bârlad.
After a decade in which she dedicates herself to the mural painting restoration of important historic monuments, beginning from 2001, she constantly participated to group or personal exhibitions with icons on wood and graphics on religious topics. Her works are inherently influenced by the direct contact with the art of mural painting masters whose frescoes she was restoring, as well as the profound roots of Romanian and Byzantine faith and culture.
The artist has had numerous national and international exhibitions, becoming a well-known ambassador of Romanian orthodox art of icon. Thus, she organized personal exhibitions or attended group exhibitions in Romania - Bucharest, Cluj, Iasi, Suceava, Barlad, Otopeni, Arad, Ploiesti, Slobozia, Craiova, in Europe - Athens, Dion, Barcelona, Paris, Lisbon, Prague, Venice, St. Petersburg, Rome, Kiev, Belgrade and also in the US - New York.
Her paintings are considered to be full of originality and represent a new approach in the field of contemporary Byzantine art. Among her achievements there is the iconostasis of the church of former Cotroceni Monastery, dedicated to the “Dormition of Mother of God” (August 15) and to Saints Serghie and Vah (October 7), as a replica of the original iconostasis that is preserved at the National Art Museum of Romania.
Education and Certification
1973-1977
1977-1981
1983-1987
1994-1995
1999-present
2000-2012
2012-present
Music and Arts High-school of Botoșani (5th to 8th grade)
Music and Arts High-school "Octav Băncilă" of Botoșani (9th to 12th grade)
The National University of Arts in Bucharest, section of Monumental Art - Restoration, led by Prof Ion Stendl and Prof Dan Mohanu.
Mural Painting Conservation - ICCROM, Rome, Italy
Member of the National Artists Union of Romania
Painting Restorer Specialist - Certified by the Ministry of Culture of Romania
Painting Restorer Expert - Certified by the Ministry of Culture of Romania
Awards (selection)
1989
"Young Graduates Scholarship" awarded by the National Artists Union of Romania, Bucharest, Romania (for work of graphics)
2001
"The prayer of the cut wood" , Bancorex Galley, awarded The Great Prize, Bucharest, Romania (icon contest)
2001
2004
2006
2008
2010
2010
2014
2014
2014
2016
2018
"Best poster award", XVII CIPA Symposium, Postdam, Germany
Prize for Sacred Art of 2003, awarded by the Artists Union of Romania , Bucharest
Prize for Sacred Art of 2005, awarded by the Artists Union of Romania , Bucharest
Prize for restoration of historical monuments - mural painting 2007, awarded by the Ministry of Culture of Romania , Bucharest
Excellence Diploma awarded by the Institute of Heritage of Romania for the restoration works of the church "Intrarea Domnului în Biserică", Vioresti, Slatioara, Valcea County, Romania
Medal Holy Antim the Iberian, awarded by the Archdiocese of Ramnic for the restoration works of the church "Intrarea Domnului în Biserică", Vioresti, Slatioara, Valcea County, Romania
Homage Diploma "Sfintii Martiri Brancoveni", awarded by the Patriarchate of Romania, Bucharest, Romania
The Grand Prize, awarded by the "Niste tarani" Foundation, Horezu, Romania
Homage Diploma and Medal "Sf. Ioan Gura de Aur", awarded by the Patriarchate of Romania, Bucharest, Cotroceni Church
"Arc peste timp" Excellence Diploma, awarded by the "Niste tarani" Foundation, Horezu, Romania
Homage Diploma and Medal "Anul comemorativ al fauritorilor marii uniri", awarded by the Patriarchate of Romania, Bucharest, Cotroceni Church
Exhibitions - Personal (selection)
2019
2019
2019
2018
2017
2017
2017
2016
2016
2015
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2014
2013
2010
2009
2007
2006
2004
2003
1990
The Youth Sacrifice from December 1989 (Faculty of Theology, Bucharest, Romania)
Martyrs (Libraria Bizantina, Bucharest, Romania)
Fir Trees ("Anastasia Popescu" High School, Bucharest, Romania)
Prodigal Son - Chants of Holy Triode (National Village Museum, Bucharest, Romania)
The Fountain from Heavens (National Museum of Bukovina, Suceava, Romania)
Together with Avva Sisoe (Libraria Sophia, Bucharest, Romania)
Ascension of Copper Snake (Libraria Bizantina, Bucharest, Romania)
Over the tree Tops ("Anastasia Popescu" High School, Bucharest, Romania)
Over Carpathians and Olympus (Mediteranean Center of Mosaic, Dion, Greece)
Fir Tree (National Village Museum „Dimitrie Gusti”, Bucharest, Romania)
Martyrium (San Pau del Camp Cathedral, Barcelona, Spain)
Brancovan Roots (Golia Tower, Iasi, Romania)
Brancovan Pearls (Melina Cultural Center, Athens, Greece)
Brancovan Roots (Romanian Cultural Institute, New York, USA)
Living water at Fire Tower (Fire Tower, Bucharest, Romania)
Power of Vision (Romanian Atheneum, Bucharest, Romania)
Brancovan Roots (Horezu Monastery, Romania)
Power of Vision (Mogosoaia Palace, Bucharest, Romania)
Brancovan Pearls (National Village Museum “Dimitrie Gusti”, Bucharest, Romania)
Brancovan Roots (Saint Sulpice Cathedral, Paris, France)
The Brancovan Holy Martyrs’ evening (Faculty of Theology, Bucharest, Romania)
Brancovan Roots (Romanian Peasant Museum, Bucharest, Romania)
Founders and martyrs (Cotroceni National Museum, Bucharest, Romania)
Os cidadaos do Paraiso (Romanian Cultural Institute, Lisbon, Portugal)
Psalm and icon (Mogosoaia Palace, Bucharest, Romania)
Angel wings (Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Bucharest, Romania)
St. Stephan the Great (Galateea gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
The Icon (Mogosoaia Palace, Bucharest, Romania)
Graphics (Vasile Parvan Museum, Barlad, Romania)
Exhibitions - Group (selection)
2019
Painting, graphics and sculpture exhibition of Group 4+ (Palace of Culture, Iasi, Romania)
2018
Icons and graphic representations of Romanian rulers (Otopeni Airport, Romania)
2018
Rulers and Saints, (Cultural Center "Ion Manu", Otopeni, Romania)
2017
Exhibition of church painters guild, Edition I(Romanian Patriarchat, Bucharest, Romania)
2017
Annual AFAPRR Exhibition (National Village Museum, Bucharest, Romania)
2016
Winter AFAPRR Salon (National Village Museum, Bucharest, Romania)
2016
Annual AFAPRR Exhibition (National Village Museum, Bucharest, Romania)
2015
Guild Feast (National Village Museum, Bucharest, Romania)
2015
Steps towards Light (Orizont Galleries, Bucharest, Romania)
2014
Contemporary Painters in Baltchic (Elite Art Gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2014
Annual AFAPRR Exhibition (National Village Museum, Bucharest, Romania)
2014
Beyond Time and Space (Saint Sulpice Cathedral, Paris, France)
2014
Holy Saints Brancovan - new icon (National Museum Cotroceni, Bucharest, Romania)
2012
Sacred Art, Creation and Restoration (Annual AFAPRR Exhibition, Bucharest, Romania)
2012
The Gift of the Iconographer (Municipal Cultural Center, Arad, Romania)
2012
Byzantine Icon, Tradition and Modernity (Mogosoaia Palace, Bucharest, Romania)
2012
Marks of Romanian Religious Art: Art in Canonical and Personal Expression (National Library of Romania, Bucharest, Romania)
2011
Signs of eternity (Ethnographic Museum of Transylvania, Cluj-Napoca, Romania)
2011
Sacred in art (Caminul artei gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2010
We are building the history of Architecture (Culture Palace, Ploiesti, Romania)
2010
A decade of explorations in Romanian art (Mogosoaia Palace, Bucharest, Romania)
2009
Sacred in art (Orizont Gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2009
Salon of Christian art (Cultural Center „Ionel Perlea”, Slobozia, Romania)
2009
Styles, symbols, techniques (Italian Institute of Culture, Bucharest, Romania)
2008
Romanian Christian art (Romanian Cultural Institute, Prague, Czech Republic)
2008
Christian inspirations (Veroniki art gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2008
Romanian Art and Spirituality (Romanian Orthodox Church, Paris, France)
2007
The icon in Easter light (Artis gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2007
Days of Byzantine icon (Theological Faculty, Bucharest, Romania)
2007
Sacred in art (Apollo gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2006
The icon in Easter light (Apollo Gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2006
Faith and art (Romania Cultural Institute, Venice, Italy)
2006
Romanian Art and Spirituality (International Art Gallery, Sankt Petersburg, Russia)
2006
Faith and art (Chiesa degli Artisti, Rome, Italy)
2006
Tradition and modernity (Fine Arts Museum, Craiova, Romania)
2005
Romanian Art and Spirituality (Great Lavr, Kiev, Ukraine)
2005
Sacred in art (Artis gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2004
Romanian Art and Spirituality (National Ethnographic Museum, Belgrade, Serbia)
2004
Sacred Art (Fine Arts Museum, Craiova, Romania)
2003
A world under the sign of Cross (Simeza Gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2003
St. Stephan the Great (Galateea Gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2002
Prayer of the painted wood II (Mariott Hotel Gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
2001
“The Naissance of the Icon – The Icon of Nativity” (Bucharest, Romania)
2001
Prayer of the painted wood I (Bancorex gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
1990
Biennial of the Romanian Artist Union (Romexpo gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
1990
Sacred art, restoration and creation (Apollo gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
1990
Romanian Artist Union Fellowship Exhibition (Simeza gallery, Bucharest, Romania)
References (selection)
Documentaries, Interviews, Reportages (selection)