Art Fridays: Studio Conversations with Cătălin Bădărău

The next "Studio Conversation" within our Art Fridays series brings us into the creative laboratory of sculptor Cătălin Bădărău, whose haunting creations examine contemporary forms of violence, sufferance, and alienation as unescapable features of our existence.

Don’t miss the premiere on our Facebook, IGTV and YouTube on March 26 at 2 p.m. New York & Toronto time / 11 a.m. Los Angeles & Vancouver time / 9 p.m. Bucharest time. Watch also on our website and other social media accounts anytime later.

Cătălin Bădărău (b. 1981) is a sculptor and Assistant Professor in the Sculpture Department of the National University of Arts Bucharest’s Faculty of Fine Arts. His sculptural approaches deal with expressions of the human body under pressure, suspended or submerged in liquids. His works are part of carefully crafted installations, directly interacting with their environment. Carved or molded in polyurethane or synthetic resins, the parts of the imagined human bodies are hung, sunk or laid down on different metal structures, materializing the idea of a heavy metal pressure on the softness of human flesh. Many of his works depict persons with physical and psychic disabilities in oder to reveal today’s forms of violence, with its multiple physical and psychological effects. While being the locus where his disturbing vision takes shape, Bădărău’s studio is also a space of social events, meeting with friends, having fun, listening to music, and cooking. 

ART FRIDAYS, the aegis of our ongoing visual arts program, presents “Studio Conversations”, an online series that offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes access to 10 rising stars of the Romanian artistic scene, uncovering their philosophy and practices, technical approaches, sources of inspiration, and personal stories. Get ready for a close encounter with some amazingly creative individuals, working in a wide range of styles and media, right in the heart of their studios.

“Studio Conversations” features 10 Romanian artists: Ioana Palamar, Cătălin Bădărău, Lea Rasovszky, Ciprian Paleologu, Aurora Kiraly, Obie Platon, Bianca Mann, Ştefan Radu Creţu, Delia Călinescu (Zoiţa), and Roman Tolici.