My works stem from a fascination with the figurative. The poet and philosopher Lucian Blaga once said that the expression "man is made in the image and likeness of God" does not mean that God is a man in heaven, but that man is a God on earth—and humanity has long embraced this title. The grandeur of man has always been celebrated in art, both in its most beautiful forms (such as Greek kouroi) and in its less conventional aspects (the aesthetics of the ugly).

My works also start from a fascination with humanity, seen as an endless source of states, experiences, and emotions. The concept of metamorphosis shapes these pieces.

 

The human being is not just a body, but also a mind; as the French philosopher René Descartes noted, man is composed of a material substance, the body, and a thinking, immaterial substance, the mind (which Descartes equates with the soul or spirit). These works reflect this dualism, showing that, unlike Cartesian dualism, the two substances interact: the body is influenced by the mind and soul, expressing the states experienced by the immaterial substance. What is felt internally is externalized, shaping the human body. Just as physical pain or pleasure affects a person’s psychological and emotional state, the same way a state of mind can alter the body: a deeply sorrowful person will appear dark, with sad eyes and a lack of a smile, while a furious person will have exaggerated features and strong colour, and a happy person will shine with a smiling mouth and eyes. In this sense, my works demonstrate this interaction between body and mind/soul and how mood can produce changes, not just minor features but significant alterations that resemble genetic mutations—such as multiple pairs of hands, missing heads, and growths.

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Metamorphosis, in this context, is connected to the grotesque: states like anxiety, depression, isolation, and despair, as depicted in my works, shape the human body. The connection between mind/soul and body causes these feelings to transform the body according to their configurations, resulting in grotesque elements: mutations like additional pairs of hands, missing body parts, unnatural elongation, and modified limbs. Early references to metamorphoses are marked by ancient philosophers like Plato and Aristotle, who mentioned them in works like the *Trachalaf* (a horned goat) and the chimera (from Homer’s Iliad). Plotinus emphasized that the artist's goal was not just to reproduce forms but to capture the soul in the image. In 20th-century art, these metamorphoses were reflected in various plastic themes and approaches, revisited by artists in cycles of chimeras or tauromachies, such as Dimitrie Paciurea, Pablo Picasso, or Salvador Dalí.

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Conceptual and theoretical aspects are perfectly embodied in the chosen processes and materials: polymer resin and polyester putty. Additionally, clay’s malleability allows for the near-exact modelling of human emotions. The works have grown, changed significantly, and gradually come to life—they represent a real state, a reflection of a universal psyche experiencing anxiety, depression, and suffering.

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