Ionel Dunea, artist

Motto: “Ceramics, a species of decorative arts, requires a specific dealing with, not only according to the material but also to the logics of its expression, if we can say so”. (Cornel Radu Constantinescu, art critic) Lucretia Milea, a ceramist, has got her stylish studio at nr. 15, Ion Creanga street. Compared with the other studios, the first room displays the artist's love for tidiness and comfort. In the other room there is the kiln in which the artist burns her works. Even if the air temperature is 36°C outside, in the studio there is a cool and comfortable atmosphere, proper for having a chat about her activity.

“Let's start with the beginning. I know that you were born in Plescoi, a village in the Buzau County. How did you get to Ploiesti?”
“I spent my first ten childhood years in my beautiful native place that has been deeply kept in my mind, helping me, when mature, to become an artist. In 1958 my family moved to the town of Ploiesti and since then I have been one of its inhabitants.
I attended the first three middle school classes at the “Elena Doamna”school and I finished the eighth class at the 'I. L. Caragiale” highschool, in Ploiesti. That was in 1962 when, being a student in that highschool, after two weeks from the beginning of the school year, I was asked to sit for an aptitude exam for the setting up of the Art Highschool from Ploiesti. And thus I moved to that new highschool. I can say that I am one of the pioneers who founded the Art highschool which was 40 years old in 2002. I studied painting and sculpture being guided by wonderful teachers like Sergiu Rugina, Paul Zipser and some others. Then I moved to the 'N. Tonitza” Art Highschool in Bucharest and I graduated in 1967. in 1974 I got the diploma of the Fine Arts Institute from Bucharest the Faculty of Decorative Arts, the Ceramics section, in professor Costel Badea's class. I have to mention that girls were not allowed to follow the Sculpture section, that's why I had to attend the Ceramics section although I wanted to become a sculptor. But, at present, I am both a sculptor and a ceramist and, last year, in the Slanic sculpture camp; I made two sculptures in salt and stone.
The village I was born in, is not far from the”Magura” stone quarry and in 1964 1965, being a tenth grader in the Art Highschool, I worked beside the great sculptor Iliescu Calinesti” “If Brancusi could revolutionize the modern sculpture through his “Cosmic Egg”, “Miraculous Bird”, “Table and chairs”, I can say that works such as “Interferences”, “Cubes”, “Spheres”, Cylinders”, have got the same rhythmic, balanced, modulated tension and they can be placed both on pedestals and on the ground from which, the same as Brancusi's works, they draw the vigour of our Romanian people's folk art. What can you tell me about your artistic works?”
“During the faculty years I was lucky to study Ceramics with two great artists, Costel Badea and Florian Alexie who have revolutionized this type of art. My works are ceramic sculptures replacing stone or wood with more pretentious materials like chamotte, terra-cotta, porcelain and even salt. My first work “Song of the sea” was deeply influenced by Costel Badea, my professor, but then I have chosen my own way, my personal creative style and I have created cycles which point out my evolution as a ceramist. The cycles are: “Cubes” 50 works, “Cylinders” 50 works, “Spheres” 50 works. In 1989 I had my first one-man exhibition at the Galateea Gallery in Bucharest. On the occasion of the varnishing the much regretted art critic Cornel Radu Constantinescu highly appreciated my works.”
“Have you got any plans for the future?”
“First I am going to have my kiln repaired and then I am preparing for a new one-man exhibition. I am also waiting for the beginning of the new school year at the Art Highschool where I am a teacher.”
“Good luck!”
“Monitorul de Prahova”, August 19th , 2003