DEBUT: DEMONS in and OUT
It all started on a Thursday 13
I had no idea that me and Matei were going to the same high school until one day when he messaged me on Facebook. He had say some large artworks he needed pictures of. We obviously met later on at school and I photographed his works in one of the empty art classes.
It struck me how seamlessly our techniques meshed, even though we were strangers back then. That serendipitous blend inspired us: why not put on an exhibition together? It became my debut, a momentous step into the spotlight, while Matei was already a seasoned artist.
And so, the exhibition unfolded—a testament to our shared passion. Little did we know that this artistic collaboration would forge a lasting friendship. Fast-forward to today: Matei, on the cusp of a legal career, still does artistic projects alongside his legal pursuits.
The rest? Well, that’s history—a canvas painted with friendship,
art and unexpected twists.
-NIKITA GILL
“The monsters were never under my bed.
Because the monsters
were inside my head.”
For Matei Colțeanu (the works bigger in size are his), Demons In and Out was the third large-scale project, following Black'nd Vision (Horațiu Mălăele's gallery-workshop) and Monstropia (at the Geological Museum). He has participated in several international painting and drawing competitions and exhibitions, with the latest one in Hong Kong.
Alexandra Crisbășan's photographs have been featured in Vice and on Sub25.ro (together with Leila Al Ali, with whom she collaborated both as a model - captured in various poses, including the winter edition of Wanderer Magazine - and as a photographer). Together with her father, photographer Cristian Crisbășan, she created the cover for the book "Mare Tranquillitatis" by Katija Millay, published by Epica Publishing House.
Demons In and Out aims to expose the dark sides of people,
the "liberating demons" they try to escape from.
“We want to show that weaknesses need to be understood, as they are essential to the balance we all need.”
The authors of the Demons In and Out project are students in the tenth grade at Nicolae Tonitza High School of Fine Arts, but they do not believe that their artistic influences or achievements are directly related to their school education.
“I believe that an artist should be prepared for any challenge, and if I ever have to solely create sculptures or paintings to make a living, I want to handle the brush or chisel with the same pleasure as I handle the pen. In the future, I plan to return to my first ‘love,’ sculpture.”
“I want to be able to live off of what I create and follow the principle that a person must fight to do what they love.
I don’t have a specific direction to pursue in art; I want to explore, to feel, to see, to find something both terrifies and delights me .”
