Sabin Bălașa
Sabin Bălașa was a contemporary Romanian painter. His works were described by himself as belonging to cosmic Romanticism.
Biography
Bălașa was born in Dobriceni, Olt County. After completing his secondary education at Frații Buzești High School in Craiova in 1950, he attended the Nicolae Grigorescu Fine Arts Institute in Bucharest, graduating in 1955. He continued his studies at Siena and Perugia, in Italy.In 1973 and 1976 the Bucharest Mayor's office ordered and paid him to paint the portraits of Nicolae and Elena Ceaușescu. In the late 1980s, Bălașa was accused of promoting Ceaușescu's cult of personality.
In December 2000 he was awarded by President Emil Constantinescu the National Order of Merit, Commander rank.
In June 2005, Bălașa sued the French newspaper Le Monde for defamation after the paper reproduced a propaganda painting by another painter, claiming it was one of his. Le Monde subsequently acknowledged the error.
He died in 2008 from lung cancer at Sfânta Maria Hospital in Bucharest and was buried at Eternitatea Cemetery in Iași.
Works
Murals
Among Bălașa's most notable works are several large-scale fresco paintings. These include 19 murals, covering approximately, which decorate the interior of the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iași:- Aspirație – 380/546 cm
- Omagiu Întemeietorilor – 372/471 cm
- Amfiteatru – 452/400 cm
- Generații – 452/379 cm
- Triumful vieții – 420/249 cm
- Dezastrul atomic – 420/249 cm
- Icar – 422/248 cm
- Prometeu – 417/247 cm
- Exodul spre lumină – 416/247 cm
- Ștefan Cel Mare – 419/250 cm
- Moldova – 430/265 cm
- Luceafărul – triptych 429/267 cm, 430/267 cm, 431/269 cm
Animated painting movies
Bălașa was the author and director of nine animated painting movies:- Picătura – 1966
- Orașul – 1967
- Valul – 1968
- Pasărea Phoenix – 1968
- Fascinații – 1969
- Întoarcere în viitor – 1971
- Galaxia – 1973
- Oda – 1975
- Exodul spre lumină – 1979