Bucharest
"Mihai Caranica. Sculptures” at MNAC Bucharest
April 10, 2025 | Cosmina Marcela OLTEAN ArtPage
"Mihai Caranica. Sculptures” is a tribute to the late artist. Born and schooled in Romania, Caranica's artistic journey was shaped at the People's School of Art. Later, his studies in Geology gave him a deep understanding of materials, allowing him to shape and texture them with precision and great sensitivity.
“I have a special relationship with sculpture as a medium. Earlier studies in Geology allowed me to have an intimate knowledge of primary materials, to anticipate their reactions to the various interventions in the process of carving. This approach shapes the very genesis of my subject matter: the stone talks to me through the language of textures and structures, directing me to the idea that would be finalised in the sculpture. Through this subtle dialog I seek a quiet harmony that satisfies both the eye and the soul.” (Mihai Caranica)
After emigrating to the United States in 1984, Caranica continued to create and exhibit his works, returning to Romania in 2014 to reintegrate the national artistic scene. During his long career, Caranica has developed a unique relationship with sculpture as a medium, drawing on his experiences in Geology to create works of a visually and emotionally impact.
“I have a special relationship with sculpture as a medium. Earlier studies in Geology allowed me to have an intimate knowledge of primary materials, to anticipate their reactions to the various interventions in the process of carving. This approach shapes the very genesis of my subject matter: the stone talks to me through the language of textures and structures, directing me to the idea that would be finalised in the sculpture. Through this subtle dialog I seek a quiet harmony that satisfies both the eye and the soul.” (Mihai Caranica)
After emigrating to the United States in 1984, Caranica continued to create and exhibit his works, returning to Romania in 2014 to reintegrate the national artistic scene. During his long career, Caranica has developed a unique relationship with sculpture as a medium, drawing on his experiences in Geology to create works of a visually and emotionally impact.
"Mihai Caranica loves the stones. He feels the diversity of their structures and thrives in the variety of their colours and follows their behaviours under light. Formally, the shapes he generates are responding to the heavy impression of Brâncuși. But they are less important in themselves, being instead, more than anything, the testimony of a life spend in explorations of the powerful mysteries of nature.
And nature’s resilience is probably best expressed in the versatile manifestations of stone, a fundamental element of civilisation.” – states Călin Dan, curator of the exhibition MIHAI CARANICA. SCULPTURES.
The exhibition is organised with the support of the artist’s family and can be visited in the Auditorium Hall on Floor 4 until May 11, 2025.
Photos by Gabriela Pană / MNAC Bucharest
The exhibition is organised with the support of the artist’s family and can be visited in the Auditorium Hall on Floor 4 until May 11, 2025.
Photos by Gabriela Pană / MNAC Bucharest
