Dumitru Gorzo

 “They are friendly and protective, and they are utterly strange – at once majestic and ominous. In this sense, they’re like hulking amulets carrying a kind of superstitiously derived, talismanic portentousness.”

- Paul D’Agostino

Dumitru Gorzo's praxis draws on the underlying restlessness present in his works. Tension plays a central role in Gorzo's work as he combines both figurative and abstract elements, reality, and mythology, as well as traditional and contemporary motifs.

Gorzo was born in Ieud, Romania, and his art finds its source in the history and legends of his homeland, as well as the realities of his daily life split between two continents. By confronting tradition and modernity in an ironic and bold manner, Gorzo's art takes the viewer to a surreal territory where dreams are still possible, common sense still exists, and a sense of humor is valued.

Disquiet is an essential aspect of Gorzo's artistic practice, as he challenges and explores tradition, walking a fine line between satire and appreciation. The forms in his art exist between the past and the present, abstraction, and tangibility. They are both familiar and playful, yet also otherworldly and occasionally mysteriously foreboding. The sharp angles and geometric shapes give the figures life within the artwork, while the vibrancy of Gorzo's color palette adds to their liveliness. These figures are fantastical and strange, as they are grounded in discordant worlds.

About the artist

Born in 1975, Ieud, Romania, Dumitru Gorzo’s work defies strict categorization, moving between genres, platforms, and media. Dumitru Gorzo received a BA and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Advanced Studies in Painting from the University of Arts in Bucharest, Romania. He has shown in solo exhibitions in Museums such as MNAC (Bucharest), NJ MoCA (New Jersey), Brukental Art Museum (Sibiu), Kunstverein Viernheim, as well as in art galleries and not-for-profit art institutions across the US and Europe. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions at prestigious art venues such as the 2001 Venice Biennale, Istanbul Biennial, Marina Abramovic Institute (San Francisco), Kunsthalle Budapest (Mucsarnok), MODEM Modern and Contemporary Art Center (Debrecen), and Museum Küppersmühle (Duisburg), and Boulder MoCA, to name just a few. Gorzo lives and works between Brooklyn, NY and Bucharest, Romania.

Artiste statement

Drawing is a significant aspect of my artistic practice. There are times when I engage in continuous drawing, and in general, it is not about depicting something specific. Rather, it is an exploration of form. Consequently, the results are a collection of composites that draw inspiration from various sources. These sources range from primitive to modernist, and from classical to folkloric influences. For this particular project, I have devoted several months to working with wooden planks. This involved cutting, carving, and painting them. My objective was to create a cohesive collection of forms that could function independently yet come together as a grand installation – akin to something between a book and a forest. Within this installation, one may detect narratives, a sense of continuity, moments of tension, as well as tranquility. In a way, I am reconnecting with the rural environment of Northern Transylvania, where I spent my childhood. This includes the imaginary creatures depicted in the stories told by my family, as well as the wooden poles found on gates and old buildings.

Ultimately, these forms do not represent any specific location but rather exist in the present moment, representing only themselves. Each form becomes a symbol of its own essence, representing my in-depth exploration of form and my personal connection to my upbringing.