Manu Viorica Madalina

You began painting at a young age in Galați. How did your early experiences at the Robescu House shape your artistic identity?

In the quiet, high-ceilinged rooms of the Robescu House — home to the Galați Pupils’ Club — I first dipped my brush into oil paints and discovered something that would stay with me for life: the power to create worlds on canvas. Those first paintings in oil were modest beginnings, but they marked the start of a journey that still continues, an exploration that feels as endless and necessary as breathing.

Much like other artists before me — even Constantin Brâncuși, who also began his path far from the great centers of European art — my early steps were rooted in simplicity, practice, and curiosity. I had no grand vision then, only an instinctive need to transform what I saw and felt into shapes and colors. It is a wonderful journey. Painting in oil felt almost magical: the smell of turpentine and linseed oil, the slow, deliberate blending of colors, the texture of the brush against the coarse canvas. It was a tactile, sensory discovery that pulled me into another world — a world shaped not by ideology or daily routine, but by imagination, history, and personal truth.

Inside the Robescu House — itself a testament to resilience and history, standing quietly for over a century — I began to shape not just images, but my artistic identity. My first subjects were often humble: still lifes, portraits, glimpses of everyday life, icons inspired by tradition. Each canvas taught me patience and control, and also how to let intuition guide the brush when words could not.

Manu Viorica Madalina | Abstract Painting In Red

What does the act of painting mean to you today, compared to your early iconography work in Romania?

In my early years in Galați, Romania, I was introduced to the world of painting through the quiet, disciplined beauty of iconography. I learned to paint Orthodox icons with reverence and precision, understanding their sacred symbolism and the spiritual responsibility behind every brushstroke. Back then, painting felt like a ritual—something external, guided by tradition, form, and faith. It was a humbling experience that taught me discipline, patience, and the profound weight that images can carry.

Painting is now a more personal act—one of freedom, emotion, and inner exploration that adds beauty to my life. I see each painting as a living extension of my voice, a way to express the feelings words cannot capture—hope, love, wonder, longing. Like any form of communication, painting is a language, but it’s one where the message is felt before it’s understood.

And still, the foundation remains the same: paintings endure. They are not just fleeting moments of creativity—they become lasting pieces of ourselves, preserved on canvas. They carry our stories, our feelings, our beliefs. They are our legacy.

Painting today, for me, is a celebration of life’s complexity and beauty. It is where tradition meets innovation, and where personal memory meets universal emotion. Whether I’m creating a vibrant mixed-media piece or a minimalist expression on recycled materials, the goal is the same: to connect, to communicate, and to leave something meaningful behind. That is how my motto evolved: Find the Art of Life!

Your painting style is deeply expressive and textured. What techniques or tools do you use to achieve this effect?

Now, with my brand, MVM3D, I am exploring new ways of expression, incorporating unconventional tools and media — from torn paper and metallic foil to natural fibers like rope or dried flowers, all carefully arranged to add depth and poetic tension to the surface.

Each work invites the viewer into a multisensory experience, where color, relief, and symbolism converge. The support itself — whether recycled cardboard, wood, or textured canvas — becomes part of the message, challenging traditional boundaries between painting, collage, and sculpture, crafting pieces that are both contemporary artifacts and emotional landscapes.

How do history and spirituality influence your art today?

The belief “Nihil sine Deo” — Nothing without God — has shaped not only the course of Romanian history but also the path of my personal life and artistic journey. This simple yet powerful truth speaks to something deep within me: the understanding that every gift, every inspiration, every act of creation comes from a place beyond myself.

Growing up in Romania, a country whose spiritual and cultural identity has long been intertwined with the Orthodox faith, I was immersed early on in a world where art and belief were inseparable. My first steps as an artist were in iconography, painting sacred images with reverence, care, and devotion. I learned that every color, every symbol, every gesture of the brush was more than technique—it was a prayer. That experience left a mark on me, one that still lives in my work today. My faith in God continues to influence my art in profound ways: giving me purpose, clarity, and a quiet confidence that I am part of something greater.

Manu Viorica Madalina | Summer Abstract Painting

What role do nature and flowers still play in your creative process?

Now, with my brand, MVM3D, I am exploring new ways of expression, incorporating unconventional tools and media — from torn paper and metallic foil to natural fibers like rope or dried flowers, all carefully arranged to add depth and poetic tension to the surface.

Beauty, for me, is not about luxury or perfection. It’s about authenticity, emotion, and intentionality. Each object in my home tells a story, holds a memory, or reflects a part of who I am. My art is born from this same instinct: to capture emotion, celebrate nature, and offer a quiet reminder that life itself is a work of art worth honoring.

How has founding “Artistry Gifts and Originals” transformed your relationship with art?

In 2022, I have started my art business, out of a deep desire to share my passion for unique, original and truly “wow!” art and fashion items with as many people as possible. This initiative started from the belief that art has more to convey to the world — and I, in turn, have something to say. I believe in the power of visual expression to move, connect people, and transform perspectives.

In an increasingly fast-paced and standardized world, I want each piece created under the MVM3D brand to bring joy, authenticity, and an invitation to see beauty in everyday life. Surrounding myself with beauty—whether in the form of a hand-painted canvas, a sculptural object, or a carefully chosen piece of furniture—nurtures my creativity and brings meaning to my everyday life.

Through Artistry Gifts and Originals and POSETE-TABLOU SRL, I extend that vision outward—offering others the chance to fill their spaces, too, with beauty that resonates, that inspires, that lasts. Because when we surround ourselves with beautiful things, we build a life that feels whole, grounded, and full of joy. That is why, I would describe my art in 3 words: ART OF LIFE.

What does “Find the Art of Life” mean to you personally?

Find the Art of Life reflects this personal evolution. It’s a call to pause, to feel, and to discover beauty in everyday moments — in nature, in connection, in the stories we tell and the emotions we share. It’s about more than creating paintings; it’s about inspiring others to see life through a more meaningful, colorful, and hopeful lens.