Today we’d like to introduce you to Mihai Cipleu.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My life has been a continuous series of “aha” art moments. I grew up in an artistic household with half the stock of our local Hobby-Lobby scattered around at any given time. My mom, a fused glass artist, taught me to keep an open mind when I create. I have used this skill to learn how to work on multiple mediums: pastel, watercolor, acrylic – anything is fair game. As a student at UC Berkeley, I have stretched that boundary even further by taking on sculpture, unwillingly (as every other art related course was full), and I’m in love!
Through trial and error, I’ve learned that my art is the most impactful when it channels that “aha” moment; when it captures exactly how I was feeling at the time. I had the opportunity to exhibit in West and East Austin Studio tours in my last two years of high school and the patterned reactions of spectators intrigued me. I’ve seen firsthand that people resonate with artworks more vividly if they are candid and soulful.
Please tell us about your art.
My art revolves around people, interactions, slices of life, and obsessions. In whatever medium it manifests, it has an autobiographical character. Converting my feelings to something visual is essentially… free therapy. I make mostly abstract/surreal drawings, watercolors, paintings, and digital art. It’s a long list, and it’s always changing. For example, I am currently making a set of “original” woodcut emojis, in an attempt to translate a mode of mass communication to something personal.
Behind playful simplicity and harmony, there is a lot of emotion in my work. I hope I can evoke the universal “feeling that you can’t describe with words,” that I get when something makes me think in a way that I’m not used to. Whether it be the re-acquisition of a buried memory or an absurd new perspective – I want the viewer to make my art their own. It’s as serious or lighthearted as you take it to be!
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing artists today?
To be successful as an artist in the contemporary, fast-paced environment, you have to be able to market yourself and your art. Half of the equation is producing a body of work that you are proud of, and the other half is getting those works out to as many people as possible (the latter half is always a work in progress). On top of that, it’s vital to stay confident and consistent in what you make. Overwhelming, right?
Social media is a great tool at the disposal of contemporary creatives. Spreading work through Instagram, Twitter, Facebook can only help increase your visibility. I’d say that this is the best starting point.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
The best way to keep up with me is through my Instagram @mihaidraws which I update almost daily. I also have a website at mihaicipleuart.wixsite.com/
Contact Info:
- Website: mihaicipleuart.wixsite.com/mihaicipleu
- Phone: (512) 964-2774
- Email: mihaicipleuart@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/mihaidraws
Image Credit:
Mihai Cipleu
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
Mia Andrews
May 3, 2019 at 9:37 pm
I absolutely adore this art, and feel such an raw emotional connection to it within my own personal life. Words can’t describe the way I’m feeling some days and sometimes the only way i can describe it is through art, especially Mihai’s.