Tension between dogma and freedom - a portrait of the artist Liviu Șoptelea

WIN Gallery interviews promote art not only as an aesthetic form, but also as a universal means of communication, connecting ideas, people, and cultures, transforming contemporary art in Romania into a true social and cultural catalyst.

Liviu Șoptelea belongs to a generation of artists who have built their professional careers at the intersection of vocation, academic rigor, and constant involvement in cultural life. He perfected his higher education in the field of visual arts at the "Ovidius" University in Constanța, where he graduated from the Faculty of Arts, specialising in Plastic and Decorative Arts Pedagogy, and graduating in 2011. He subsequently refined his skills with a master's degree in conservation-restoration, granted in 2013 by the George Enescu University in Iași, within the Faculty of Visual Arts. Actively involved in the artistic community since the 1990s, the artist has participated in over 80 solo and group exhibitions, salons, and annual events, and constantly contributes to the revitalization of the local and national art scene.

Departing from a set of questions deliberately constructed as an exercise in revelation, underlining, challenging and uncovering the tension between dogma and freedom, this interview aims to simultaneously probe the man behind the artist Liviu Șoptelea and the spirituality behind his work.

Artist Liviu Șoptelea in his studio

WIN Gallery: What is the earliest childhood memory that made you realize that you see the world "differently" than others?

Liviu Șoptelea: I think I was about 12 when I did a modeling assignment on a musical theme and it turned out totally different from what my classmates had done. They all modeled scenes with classical instruments (piano or violin), while I chose to create a composition featuring a cimbalom player

WIN Gallery: Did you receive support or opposition during your formative years as an artist? Who was there for you and helped shape your career?

Liviu Șoptelea: I can't say that I had support or opposition from my parents. I was allowed to follow the path I chose. My modeling teacher, the sculptor Eugen Cubassa, instilled in me a love of "plastic art." Then there was a lot of work under the guidance of various teachers.

WIN Gallery: When did you first feel that painting was no longer just a vocation, but your destiny?

Liviu Șoptelea: When I was around 13, I had to choose between soccer and the arts, and I chose painting, understanding that it would guide me throughout my life. However, I can't say that there was a specific moment when I realized that painting was my destiny. It all happened step by step.

artistul-liviu-soptelea-in-plin-proces-de-creatie

Artist Liviu Șoptelea in the midst of the creative process

WIN Gallery: Do you think the Romanian public is ready to look at art with religious overtones beyond clichés and tradition?

Liviu Șoptelea: I believe that the public enjoys artworks made with sincerity and faith. It looks at religious art with understanding and love, as long as it springs naturally, in a disinterested way.

WIN Gallery: In many of your works, the sacred is not soothing, but rather tense. Is faith a form of comfort or a starting point for constant inner conflict?

Liviu Șoptelea: In our faith, we always have conflicts between good and evil. It is a tension that is reflected in painting through strong chromatic contrasts; it is a struggle for life. Faith is a living testimony to God's goodness and a confession of love for our fellow human beings.

"Thought to the Angel" by Liviu Șoptelea

WIN Gallery: Have you ever painted an angel that scared you? If so, what was hidden behind that painting?

Liviu Șoptelea: During a painting session, I sketched an angel with wheels. My neighbor asked, "Where have you ever seen an angel with wheels?"... I replied with another question: "Where haven't you seen one?"... It's not scary! ... It's about the unseen, the mystery!

WIN Gallery: Your angels do not seem to be docile messengers, but almost unsettling entities. Are they protectors, witnesses, or judges?

Liviu Șoptelea: The angels in my works are the people around us. They are "urban angels or angels of the Covid era." They are poets, painters, friends, and neighbors. In my representations, we are the angels. You play that part for me, I for another, and so on. I think that if we could see our guardian angels, we would be terrified or die of joy. So they are protective witnesses.

"Here and Beyond" by Liviu Șoptelea

WIN Gallery: Have you ever been tempted to deny your own artistic intention for fear of suppressing the "word" of God in your creation? And if so, was this refusal visible on the canvas?

Liviu Șoptelea: I think every artist has moments of fear, doubt, or helplessness. But you broaden the horizon of knowledge by climbing vertically. The effort to surpass yourself is a moral and spiritual ascent, which can be seen in your work.

WIN Gallery: Have you ever abandoned your faith in yourself as an artist? What made you come back?

Liviu Șoptelea: As I said above, I think we've all had moments of doubt or fear. I personally have had "critical" moments. I remember that at one point, after seeing Goya's CAPRICES, I asked myself, "What am I supposed to do?" It was a moment of self-analysis that lasted about two weeks... during which I weighed the pros and cons of my calling. Unable to live without work, I am content with what I have here and now on earth.

WIN Gallery: The intense red in Liviu Șoptelea's works inevitably evokes blood, sacrifice, martyrdom. Is it the red of faith or the red of an ancestral sense of guilt?

Liviu Șoptelea: Red means life, tension, movement. It is the red of faith achieved through sacrifice.

"Another Cry" by Liviu Șoptelea

WIN Gallery: Have you ever felt burdened by the idea of "rewriting" religious iconography in a personal, subjective manner?

Liviu Șoptelea: In my work, I do not follow a canon. They are free compositions, closed or open, inspired by Christianity and influenced by everyday life, with the good and the bad. As for "rewriting" the iconography, that is out of the question.

WIN Gallery: In your creative process, where does prayer end and painting begins?

Liviu Șoptelea: I believe that painting is also a form of prayer, of confession and repentance that I share with my neighbor... my guardian angel, and it is transmitted to God's merciful judgment.

WIN Gallery: Who is Liviu Șoptelea when he is not painting? What remains after the colors begin to dry on the canvas?

Liviu Șoptelea: When I am not painting or working on the conservation of artworks held at the Botoșani Museum, I am a domestic guy who cooks, reads, goes to the theater or cinema, or chats with friends.