Ioana Băltan (b. Dragomirești, Dâmbovița) lives and works în London. The artist attended The National University of Arts, Bucharest, Romania, where she obtained a degree in Teaching Training and a degree in Fine Arts painting (2015). Under scholarship, she continued her studies at The Brera Fine Arts Academy Milan and obtained a Masters in Strategies of Creation in Painting released by the National University of Arts Bucharest.
Shiny, creaseless faces with perfect barrels of synthetic hair, Băltan’s work reveals a strong preoccupation with contemporary approaches to the female figure. Her large-scale compositions are a visual exploration portraying feminine archetypes with focus on how these subjects have been historically depicted as angelic beauty icons, grotesque monsters, spiritual warriors and more recently as animated plastic simulacra. With urban goddesses surrounded by fantastic landscapes adorned by cosmic elements, wild fauna and shroud with artificial lights, Baltan’s work is equal parts beautiful fantasy and the horrible truth of the rigidity and confines of contemporary female narrative, which could be mistaken by those with a less critical eye, to be satirical and stereotypical intereptation. Her work is provocative, vivacious and unapologetic.
The artist states, “My work combines various ideas about female identity, childhood memories and imaginary adventures. I am intrigued by the history of women’s beauty standards and through the female characters, I want to highlight contemporary beauty aesthetics. In my paintings, I choose to present a cartoon-ish Instagram-filter beauty, defined as Cartoon Glam. Unicorns, bunnies, and cakes are meaningful symbols in my paintings – they emphasize the idea of childhood, innocence and belonging.”
Baltan is represented in Mallorca and has participated in group and solo shows in Bucharest, Spain, London and Italy.
EDUCATION
2015 Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts Painting, National University of Arts, Bucharest
2015 Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching Training, National University of Arts Bucharest
2016 Master’s Degree Scholarship in Fine Arts, Brera Fine Arts Academy Milan
2017 Master’s Degree in Fine Arts Painting, National University of Arts Bucharest
2018 Postgraduate Scholarship – Gallery Assistant in Beaconsfield Gallery Vauxhall London
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 Fantastyfrolia – A Painted Tale with Tints of Marzipan, IOMO Gallery
2023 Feast of the Immortals, Maggio Art Consultancy x Artsy
2015 Anima Damnata, Go Contemporary Gallery, solo show, Bucharest
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Hey! Teacher! Leave Us, Kids, Alone, A66 Gallery, Mallorca
2024 Sound and Vision, 180 Studios x Art on a Postcard, London
2024 Midsummer Group, A66 Gallery, Mallorca
2024 Hair Stories, Art Safari, Bucharest
2024 RAD Art Fair, Hotel Caro, Bucharest
2023 The passerby who stays, group show, Koppel X
2022 Selected vol 2, London Paint Club, group show, Koppel X
2022 Arte Vi.Ve, Biennale of Viterbo, group show, Venice
2022 Tendencies in Painting, London Paint Club, group show
2022 Metaverse x Maggio Art Consultancy, London
2020-21 RA Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London
2019 Look at me for the last one time, Elite Art Gallery, Bucharest
2018 Group exhibition, Candid Art Trust, London
2016 Art Safari Exhibition, Go Contemporary Gallery pavilion, Dacia Palace, group show,
Bucharest
2016 Art Safari Go Contemporary Gallery Dacia Palace, Artist Presentation Bucharest,
PUBLICATIONS
2023 Women: From Unicorns to Pets, Artmajeur Magazine
2022 Issue no 2 ‘Tendencies in Painting’, London Paint Club
