Romanian sculptor Darius Hulea manipulates iron, stainless steel, brass, and copper wires to form three-dimensional portraits of historical figures. Ranging from royalty to poets, Hulea’s work often focuses on Romanian luminaries. The artist has rendered Queen Marie, sculptor Grigore Bradea, and philosopher Mircea Eliade along with many others, carefully recreating each subject’s furrowed brows and flowing hair in metal.
In an interview with My Modern Met Hulea explains, “I hope that people will understand that I do nothing but draw in a new way, in a durable material of the past. I can then explore and research, as an artist, mythical, Renaissance, and modern thinking by finding three-dimensional examples that describe us now in a history of the past.”
Hulea received a PhD in visual arts from Cluj-Napoca Art & Design University. He cites his family as inspiration for his creative life: his grandmother and great-grandmother were weavers, while his grandfather worked with agricultural tools. Hulea is represented by Renaissance Art Gallery in Bucharest, Romania. Peek inside the artist’s studio through his Facebook and Instagram accounts. (via My Modern Met)
