Category: Articles

We walk past everything, yet we don’t truly see it. We enjoy many things, but there is so much more we never learn how to appreciate. Is it because we don’t have the time? Or perhaps we lack the desire—or maybe we need something else to truly see what is freely given to us…

Maybe that is the mission of an artist: to prevent oblivion from covering the image of the world. I thought this while admiring visual artist Vasile Movileanu’s exhibition, held recently on the eve of Chișinău’s Day at the Municipal Hall. I attended the opening; I couldn’t not come, out of respect for Vasile Movileanu, who so skillfully illustrated several of my books. And I did not regret it—I was deeply impressed by the painter’s latest, innovative works, which form a sincere and beautiful chromatic monologue dedicated to the love of Chișinău. Perhaps the chosen space was fitting for such an event, although to fully appreciate the works, they would have needed even more light and space.

We, the guests—along with the paintings—felt like passers-by in a waiting room, where busy, important people, preoccupied with major concerns, hurried past without pausing even for a moment to admire the unique and unrepeatable landscapes, with their ancient streets and timeworn houses. The indifferent gaze of some drifted away, just as time, with its conceited and ruthless momentum, passes over the past of a city that once held the status of a capital. I mention this not by chance!

So many old buildings, bearing the imprint of history on their facades, have already been erased from the face of the earth, demolished without even being immortalized in a single photograph. Had it not been for the tireless Valentina Brâncoveanu, who documented aged houses from dawn until dusk, or for Lică Sainciuc, who for years tried to rescue long-forgotten churches and buildings from the ruins of oblivion, or for Vasile Movileanu himself—who refuses to let the inevitable wave of time erase from our memory what was dear to our forefathers—the past would be even more lost.

I moved from one work of art to another as a guest in a world where nothing is forgotten—a world lovingly and skillfully recorded in a chromatic register by painter Vasile Movileanu. In fact, I saw him in a new light—as a visual artist who, besides illustrating books, also paints on the canvas of memory. After trying (and succeeding!) to paint music, to capture in color the sounds and vibrations beyond the visible, he has now painted the city’s profile with its streets, houses, and people.
Most of the paintings, executed with particular rigor in watercolor, evoke warmth, light, love, and joy. The play of light and shadow is reflected in bright, vivid colors, sometimes with a pastel touch, inviting without overwhelming the viewer.
The works—whether evoking autumn or winter, drenched in multicolored or muted light—transport you to a dear, intimate world, enveloped in the nostalgia of what is forgotten.

Thus, Vasile Movileanu discreetly and with great dedication fulfills his duty as an artist who refuses to leave blank, meaningless spaces in this world. It is a craft about which every soul blessed with the gift of creation should reflect!
This thought was also echoed by the writer beloved by both young and old, Spiridon Vangheli, who was present at the opening—a promenade through the corridors of the Municipal Hall. I also encountered the poet Dumitru Matcovschi on this chromatic walk.

It seemed as though we were all just passing by, each of us experiencing our own emotions—a world from another dimension…
Landscapes with alluring streets, with a “Yard in Chișinău,” then with other courtyards and alleyways, with a “Merchant,” with the much-suffering “Cathedral.”

An imaginary journey from an autumnal landscape to another enveloped in the white of snow, bathed in sunlight or flooded with green—only to return, with thoughts stirred within us, inspired by music expressed in a similarly chromatic manner through intimate images of people in love with the song of colors. These works remind us that every place, like every person, has a soul beyond appearances…

Vasile Movileanu remains the visual artist who continues to offer the world delightful surprises…

Claudia Partole, writer

He could not have become anyone other than the visual artist he ultimately became—a remarkable plastic artist! This was what nature intended and what destiny decreed.

At only one year and four months old, he was struck by a harsh and merciless disease caused (in the mid-1950s) by a monstrous virus—poliomyelitis—that also debilitated him. The disease took both his legs, rendering him unable to stand.

His parents—Ştefan and Maria Movileanu, kind and respected residents of the village Secăreni, Hânceşti—suffered deeply when misfortune befell the third of their five children. Yet, they did not succumb to despair, for Vasile had already begun to show a remarkable, innate ability to see the world differently—the well, the house, and the surrounding trees took on a unique meaning for him.

Sensing his son’s innate gift, his father presented him with a large box of “Spartak” colored pencils. These miraculous objects revealed to the little enthusiast—who often admired the rainbow from the doorstep—the mystery that would nurture and protect him throughout his life. Instantly, upon picking up the pencils, he drew his first depiction of the well, the house, the trees, and, of course, the rainbow against a blue sky.

The budding talent of this wonder child was also recognized by his elementary school teacher, Grigore Plămădeală, who insisted that Vasilică be enrolled in first grade. His parents agreed, ensuring that the child was carried to and from school by various family members—sometimes by his mother, sometimes by his brother Mihai, and occasionally by his older sister Galina.

Often, he was even carried by his kind-hearted teacher, which allowed him to complete the first grade. Naturally, second grade followed. However, to progress further, Vasilică needed to learn to sit upright, meaning he had to move independently using crutches—a challenge that was unfeasible in the village. Consequently, his parents were advised to take him to a special boarding school in Ialoveni, which served children afflicted with poliomyelitis from across the republic. However, they were informed that he could not be admitted because he was unable to move with crutches.

We will skip over the many hardships and the extremely difficult operations that the boy endured—operations that ultimately enabled him to use crutches effectively and move upright. Movement became a symbol of hope, the joy of living and dreaming. Eventually, after a third attempt, Vasile Movileanu returned to Ialoveni.

He graduated with distinction from the boarding school, carrying within his soul gratitude and deep, sincere love for the teachers and medical staff—especially his dear and respected teacher, Valeria Stog, whose rare pedagogical finesse inspired faith in his abilities and the courage to face his destiny.

From then on, walking upright with his head held high, Vasile Movileanu—already a well-known creator of dozens of paintings and graphic works—presented himself in 1978 at the Visual Arts School “I. Repin” in Chişinău (currently the Visual Arts College “A. Plamădeală”). Undoubtedly, the ambition, persistence, perseverance, and especially the talent of this young man deeply impressed the examiners. Thus, years later, the prestige of this institution would be further enhanced by the name of the exceptional visual artist, Vasile Movileanu.

Next came another milestone: the Polygraphic Institute of Moscow, where he earned a degree in Graphics. There was not a day without painting, drawing, or engaging in creative work. His inexhaustible inner energy and inspiration—sources of continuous intellectual effort—have established Vasile Movileanu as one of the most renowned creators of book and easel graphics in the Republic of Moldova.

Today, as a laureate of numerous awards and a member of the International Association of Plastic Artists (UNESCO), he has illustrated more than 30 children’s books for writers such as Grigore Vieru, Spiridon Vangheli, Dumitru Matcovschi, and the Italian literary classicist Gianni Rodari, among many others. His graphic works for the book Three Wonderful Stories by Mihail Sadoveanu brought him worldwide renown. Notably, one of the illustrations from this book was included in a prestigious Japanese catalogue published in 2000, which featured Vasile Movileanu among the 65 most renowned graphic artists in the world!

This extraordinary achievement was preceded by other valuable accomplishments, including participation in prestigious exhibitions in Romania (1991, 1994, 1996), Bratislava (1997), and Belgrade (1998), as well as numerous awards, distinctions, and diplomas.

Additionally, many of Vasile Movileanu’s works are housed in the National Art Museum in Chişinău, the Art Museum in Tulcea, Romania, and in private collections in France, Russia, Italy, the U.S., and elsewhere.

Indeed, these brief notes seem incomplete without mentioning another noteworthy detail: Vasile Movileanu not only made a name for himself in the nation’s cultural and spiritual life, but he also built a matching family. His kind and loving wife, Mrs. Ana, is a talented creator of embroideries and crochets featuring national motifs; his eldest daughter, Victoria, is an accessory designer; and his youngest daughter, Cristina, who holds a degree in arts, is clearly following in her father’s footsteps.

We once read an art critic’s appraisal stating that Vasile Movileanu’s body of work radiates warmth, light, and poetry—a sentiment that rings true. Indeed, it is the light and poetry (coupled with his unyielding thirst for life) that kept Vasile Movileanu steadfastly moving forward, both literally and figuratively!

 

Mihai Morăraş