Sabin Balasa (1932-2008) | Symbolist painter

Romanian painter Sabin Bălaşa was born in the village of Dobriceni, Olt county. He graduated from the Fine Arts Institute in 1955. He is a member of many international Academies of Art and winner of a great number of prizes for painting and cartoons.

He naturally started from the traditions of the Romanian art, which he assimilated in a creative way, and studied with interest and fervour the history and mythology of the Romanian people, pledging himself to conjure up a fascinating universe of great expressive power, conveying to the onlooker an impression or a rare strength.

Whether he paints such heroes of the national pantheon as Decebalus, Stephen the Great, Balcescu or Eminescu, evokes characters of legend, epic or ballad or creates images living beyond time and space, Sabin Balasa constantly remains faithful to the most generous and noble human ideals.

The Hall of the Lost Footfalls was painted over a period of 10 years and consists in 18 great wall paintings. Main themes include youth, the history and poetry of the Romanian people.

During Romania's Communist years, Balasa became infamous for painting propaganda works, most notably cultivating the personalities of Nicolae and Elena Ceauşescu.

The painter shows a rare power of invention and transfiguration. He proposes a parallel fabulous mirific world, full of mystery and exotic splendour. Among Balasa's most notable works are several large-scale fresco paintings, such as those decorating the inside of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi.