This Romanian abstract artist captures the beauty of time’s passage in her paintings. Sara Mumtaz learns more about her process
CAPTIVATED BY THE VARIOUS FORMS of art growing up, Flavia Birsan realised she naturally possessed an artistic eye which fuelled her passion for painting. Known for her gestural painting style, her favourite theme explores the flow of time which enhances the depth and beauty in us and our surroundings.
As a child, Flavia was exposed to art in various forms every day, mesmerised by the historic buildings and beautiful architecture that surrounded her in Romania. She acknowledges the beauty of the buildings as a symbol of ‘passages of time’ which ignites her passion to dig deeper to produce art.
While she doesn’t inherently come from a creative family, she has proudly passed on her creative genes to her eight-year-old son, who is an amazing artist. “He’s the real creative in our family,” she laughs.
Her time spent securing a diploma in Journalism and Communication helped her enhance her communication skills profoundly and as a result, played a pivotal role in effectively connecting with her audience.
“But the funny thing is, after I started to express myself through painting, I now find it harder to express myself through writing,” she adds, ironically.
Does Flavia paint what surrounds her? “Not necessarily, but I am highly influenced by it,” she muses. “I believe that everything around me, from the people I interact with to the urban landscapes, finds its way into my artwork.” She adds, “Recently, I spent a weekend in Athens and the following week, I found myself working on a neutral, textural painting resembling ancient walls.”
For her, the choice of medium is as dynamic as the artwork itself. “I use acrylic colours on canvas and sometimes other mediums.” All her abstract pieces share a unique and distinct defining feature of multiple textured layers. Flavia reveals, “I create intentional multiple layers as it allows for an organic progression of textures. Each layer influences the one that follows, creating a journey through the artwork.” Her favourite part of the process? “The top layer, which is a bridge between chaos and order, spontaneity and control.”
When it comes to tools, there are no rules. She likes to play around with her classical palette knives as well as unconventional objects found in construction stores to create impasto effects. Flavia sets the intention to bring each painting in alignment with
