Sabin Bălașa

Sabin Bălașa ([saˈbin bəˈlaʃa]; June 17, 1932 in Dobriceni, Olt – April 1, 2008, Bucharest) was a contemporary Romanian painter. His works are described by himself as belonging to cosmic Romanticism.

He completed his high school education at Frații Buzești High School in Craiova in 1950.

Among Bălaşa's most notable works are several large-scale fresco paintings, such as those decorating the inside of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași.

In 1973 and 1976 the Bucharest Mayor's office ordered and paid him to paint the portraits of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu. In the late 1980s, Bălașa was accused of promoting Ceauşescu's cult of personality. Apart from the works contracted by the Bucharest City hall, no other proof has been produced. Bălașa's father and uncle were in fact imprisoned for more than 20 years for opposing the Communist regime.

In June 2005, Bălașa sued the French paper Le Monde for defamation after said paper reproduced a propaganda painting by another painter, claiming it was one of his [1]. Le Monde subsequently acknowledged the error [2]

Galleries in the country and abroad:

Rome 1978, Rome 1980, Stockholm 1982, Bucharest, National Art Museum, 1982, Kerkera Greece 1985, Moscow, Tbilisi and other capital cities of the ex USSR 1988, Bucharest, 1992, Israel 1994, Bucharest World Trade Center 2000, Iași Universitatea A.I. Cuza 2002, Bucharest 2005

Animated painting movies[2]:

Author and director of 12 animated painting movies:

• "Picătura" (Drip, The)-1966
• "Orașul" (City, The)-1967
• "Valul" (Wave, The)-1968
• "Pasărea Phoenix" (Phoenix Bird, The)-1968
• "Fascinație" (Fascination)-1969
• "Întoarcere în viitor" (Return to the Future)-1971
• "Galaxia" (Galaxy, The)-1973
• "Oda" (Ode, The)-1975
• "Exodul spre lumină" (Exodus Towards the Light)-1979

Murals:

19 murals (approximately 270sqm), Universitatea Alexandru Ioan Cuza, Iași, Romania:

• "Aspirație" (Aspiration) 380/546 cm
• "Omagiu Întemeietorilor" (Homage To The Founders) 372/471 cm
• "Amfiteatru" (Amphitheatre) 452/400 cm
• "Generații" (Generations) 452/379 cm
• "Triumful vieții" (Triumph of Life) 420/249 cm
• "Dezastrul atomic" (Atomic Disaster) 420/249 cm
• "Icar" (Icarus) 422/248 cm
• "Prometeu" (Prometheus) 417/247 cm
• "Exodul spre lumină" (Exodus Towards the Light) 416/247 cm
• "Ștefan Cel Mare" 419/250 cm
• "Moldova" (Moldavia) 430/265 cm
• "Luceafărul" - triple painting