MariaManuela’s pictures define the contrasts between the
culture of the Far East and the western world’s pop-culture
at the same time as they bring the two forms together. She derives
her inspiration from classic Japanese woodcuts and their motifs
of fantastically coiffured, cherry-lipsticked women, dressed
in exquisitely patterned kimonos. But what she presents for
the viewer are modern young Japanese women in mini-skirts, dancing
among the cherry blossom and haiku poems.
Her
Pop Icons are painted in vinyl on linen canvas – layer
upon layer laboriously laid down to achieve the effect of a
printed, japanned surface. The lines of the lips, the semi-circular
contours of the eyes and the billowing coiffures are expressed
against a monochromatic background. Her advertisement-like images
combine mystique with unequivocal simplicity, setting a stage
for all manner of different facial expressions – melancholy,
pensive, jovial.
Born
in Stockholm in 1959, Maria Manuela Vintilescu’s first
serious encounter with art came at the age of seven. It was
with fascination that she viewed Niki de Saint-Phalle’s
giant sculpture She, then displayed at the Museum of Modern
Art in Stockholm. After graduating from the Ecole Française
in Stockholm, Maria took courses in painting, drawing and advertising.
After ten years as a scene painter in the theatre, she turned
to her own art. Her Pop Icons appeared for the first time in
1998. Two years later her Flower Year suite was exhibited in
the Stockholm Spring Show at Liljevalch’s Gallery. These
twelve female portraits were published in booklet form accompanied
by Japanese haiku poetry interpreted by her father, Jan Vintilescu.
It was his book that had first introduced this Japanese lyric
form to a wider audience of Swedes in 1959.
In
much the same way as the haiku moves us by the eloquence of
its brevity, MariaManuela seeks through her pictures to convey
situations, facial expressions and frames of mind by the most
sparing and subtle of means. Her father had sought the same
in rendering the haikus of the Japanese poet Issa (1763–1828)
Seeing cherry trees
in the blossomed parks of spring
strangers become friends.
Johan Persson
Biography
MariaManuela
Vintilescu was born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1959.
Her
first major art experience was at the age of 7 when visiting
the gigantic and overwhelming sculpture “She” by Niki
de St. Phalle at the Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm in 1966.
After
graduation from the French School in Stockholm, she studied
graphics, silk screen and painting in France, England and Sweden.
In
1998 she started to paint Pop Icons and showed “Angels”
in a group exhibition in Stockholm that year.
In
1999 she painted her first Japanese Pop Icons and in 2000 she
participated at the Stockholm Spring Show at Liljevalchs Museum
with “Flower Year”, an installation of 12 pictures,
each with a different flower name and representing one of the
four seasons.
For
the occasion of her first visit to Tokyo in 2001 she published
the book “Flower Year” where Haiku poems are put together
with her paintings.
Exhibitions
2009
Art Project 12:th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Berlin/Germany.
Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström, Snow Moon Flowers & Girls, Malmö/Sweden.
Vasa Konsthall, 5xPop, Göteborg/Sweden,
Galerie Jane Griffiths, 5xPop, Val d'Isère/France
2008
St-Art, Strasbourg/France. Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström.
Designcenter 1021, 5xPop, Löderup/Sweden.
Edsviks konsthall, 5xPop, Stockholm/Sweden.
Galerie de Lee, 5xPop, Seoul/South Korea.
2007
St-Art, Strasbourg/France. Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström.
SOMA Museum of Art, Les NouveauX pop, Seoul/South Corea.
Galleri Bergström, 5 x Nouveaux pop, Båstad/Sweden.
Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström, 5 x Nouveaux pop, Malmö/Sweden.
Art Paris/France, Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström.
Galerie Jane Griffiths, Val d'Isère/France.
2006
St-Art, Strasbourg/France. Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström.
Karlshamns Konsthall,Karlshamn/Sweden.
Gallerihuset, Copenhagen/Denmark.
Art FAB, Women in Europe, St.Tropez/France.
Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström, Malmö/Sweden.
SelArt Gallery, Stockholm/Sweden.
Galerie Salvador, Les NouveauX Pop, Paris/France.
Villa Tamaris Centre d'art, Les NouveauX Pop, Seyne-sur-Mer/France.
Gallerihuset, Copenhagen/Denmark.
2005
SelArt Gallery, Stockholm/Sweden.
Art Bruxelles/Belgium, Galerie Salvador.
Galleri Kim Anstensen, Göteborg/Sweden.
Bukowski Charity Auction, Stockholm/Sweden.
Stockholm Art Fair/Sweden, Galleri Eklund & Wallmark.
2004
Galerie Salvador, Paris/France.
Spitz Gallery, London/England, Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström.
Art Paris/France, Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström.
SelArt Gallery, Stockholm/Sweden.
Galleri Eklund & Wallmark, Stockholm/Sweden.
Cowparade, Stockholm/Sweden.
Stockholm Art Fair/Sweden, Galleri Eklund & Wallmark.
2003
Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström, Malmö/Sweden.
Gallery Fabien Fryns, Marbella/Spain.
Galleri Agardh & Tornvall, Stockholm/Sweden.
Tokyo Art Factory/Japan.
Galleri Jan Wallmark, Stockholm/Sweden.
Stockholm Art Fair/Sweden, Galleri Jan Wallmark.
2002
Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström, Malmö/Sweden.
Stockholm Art Fair/Sweden, Gallery Wolfsen.
2001
Swedish style in Tokyo at Las Chicas, Tokyo/Japan.
Galleri GKM Siwert Bergström, Malmö/Sweden.
Stockholm Art Fair/Sweden. Galleri Jan Wallmark.
Art Herning, Herning/Denmark, Gallery Wolfsen.
2000
Gallery Jan Wallmark, Stockholm/Sweden.
Art Copenhagen/Denmark, Gallery Wolfsen. Art fair.
Gallery Wolfsen, Aalborg/Denmark.
Stockholm Art Fair/Sweden, Galleri Jan Wallmark.
Liljevalchs Springshow, Stockholm/Sweden.
1998
"Angels in the Center", Stockholm/Sweden.
1997
"North American Indians", Peace in Mind festival, Stockholm/Sweden.
"Creative kilometre", Stockholm/Sweden.
1996
"Creative kilometre", Stockholm/Sweden.
