BoBa Art Gallery presents an interesting interview with sculptor Dan Daniel from 2021.
This is an English translation of the 2021 interview with Sculptor Daniel Dan made by Diana-Mădălina CRISTEA, Journalist and is here published with the journalist's permission.
Rosia, Romania, 2021
"I created a shuttlecock galaxy that weaves the cosmos" Dan Daniel
Introduction
Daniel Dan was born on October 7, 1986, in Oradea. He studied sculpture at the Faculty of Arts and Design at the West University of Timișoara, and in 2017 completed his doctoral studies with the thesis "Sculpture in Marble – History, Technique, and Practice". Drawn to the peaceful environment of the countryside, he moved to Roșia with his dog, Thor, where he built a workshop.
Over the years, he has participated in symposia and sculpture workshops, including: the International Stone Sculpture Symposium in Caransebeș in 2017; the National Monumental Sculpture Camp – Romania 100, Ploiești in 2018; and the National Contemporary Monumental Sculpture Camp, Ploiești in 2021.
How did you discover your passion for sculpture?
It started in childhood. Like all children, I played with mud, built houses from earth and sticks. Additionally, I saw Brâncuși’s "Leda" on TVR1 and liked it so much that it stayed in my memory. I recreated it in marble, a small version, and that was my first interaction with sculpture when I was around 10 or 12 years old. Since my father worked in a cemetery making crosses, I had access to marble and tools. We can say that Brâncuși set me on this path.
In high school, I studied the arts under Mr. Pavel Bența, an extraordinary teacher who allowed me to explore. I painted in oil, made my own frames and canvases, and had an inclination for manual work.
In college, I initially studied art pedagogy, but my attraction to sculpture led me to switch. I met Prof. Dr. Dumitru Șerban, with whom I completed my bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral studies. I dedicated my last symposium, the third of my professional career, to him on St. Dumitru's Day.
How does the environment you live in influence your creative process?
Now that I’ve moved to the countryside, I feel much freer and closer to nature. I can study Brâncuși’s works, like "Bird in Space", and observe the birds in flight from my terrace. I can see the idea of a bird in flight more clearly, and this helps me understand each of his works, from birds to "The Rooster", and "The Fish" which you don’t see underwater from a distance.
I am no longer influenced by great artists and professors as I was in Timișoara; here, I am alone and my only critic. The work I recently created in Ploiești is, in a way, inspired by nature. It shows certain phenomena, emotions, and forms, and is part of my concept “micro-Macro Cosmos”, related to planets, galaxies, and extraterrestrial phenomena that are discovered daily and that I am passionate about. Connected to Macro Cosmos, I am inspired by photographs taken by the Hubble Telescope. It also started from traditional objects I collect, like a shuttlecock from a weaving loom; I personified a shuttlecock galaxy that weaves the cosmos as a shuttlecock weaves a hemp cloth.
Does Roșia’s reputation for caves and mines influence your works?
Yes, at this level of “micro-Macro Cosmos”, through nebulae, some have diverse forms, like caves that give birth to new shapes, stalactites, stalagmites, calcite crystals like those in the Farcu Crystal Cave. I associate caves with mothers that give birth to new formations, just as nebulae give birth to stars, like our sun which was born in a nebula. I also see nebulae as Phoenix birds.
What do you aim to convey through your art?
Emotions and joy. To create things that happen around us. Everything ultimately boils down to emotions and joy. Discovering more about our universe and the micro-universe within us is also about emotion and joy, aiming to bring a good state of being. Knowledge. I present the concept of the soul of the form. I believe each being has a soul that represents it, having a form that is not about appearance, clothing, or scales.
What is your most successful work?
Sculptures are like my children. Just as the youngest child is usually the favourite, so it is with my latest work, “Shuttlecock Galaxy.” I am deeply in love with it.
Which renowned sculptors have you worked with?
I have worked with Tanya Preminger, Bogdan Rață, Roland Hoft, Dumitru Șerban, Eugen Petri, Maxim Dumitraș, and Horia Bojin.
Diana-Mădălina CRISTEA
Journalist
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