Emanuel Borcescu

Emanuel Borcescu

"Emanuel Borcescu - Artist Portrait" / (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2025

Biography

Emanuel Borcescu (b. 1980 in Râmnicu-Sărat, Romania), (he/him), visual artist, of Romanian ethnical background, grew up in Romania, lives and works in Bucharest. The artist graduated in 2002 the National University of Arts in Bucharest – Graphics. Master's studies from 2002 to 2004. His dissertation was part of the Bucharest Contemporary Art Biennial organized in 2004 by the 2META Foundation. Benefited from several scholarships and residencies offered by the University of Oslo, the Gyor Art Museum (Hungary), Santa Lucia del Mela (Italy), Selby Gallery Florida (USA), and the Tescani Art Museum (Romania). Obtained a PhD in Visual Arts with the work "Forms of Self-Destruction in Contemporary Art" which had as a practical research basis the personal project "DocMarCell" (a pseudonym of the artist during 2006-2012) an interdisciplinary platform that contained drawing/painting, installation and photo/video projects. He interogates ruin semiotics, anthropomorphic signs, abandoned industry and heavy machinery.

Miners as gnomes in a garden in Bucharest, an image from a personal project about Romanian recent history - (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2025

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Artistic disciplines:

• Painting art

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Process

Emanuel Borcescu's working process integrates painting, drawing, object, installation. Usually the artist works on medium and large surfaces, in succesive layers.

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Notable themes

Recurring theme in Emanuel Borcescu's works is a language of signs as a social commentary on the role of construction-ruin-deconstruction-reconstruction process as development phases of a civilisation, historical perspectives distilled in visual symbols.

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Works in collections and public recognition

• exhibited nationally and internationally, at at biennales, art galleries, museums.
• works in private and institutional collections.

Works included in private collections in Romania. Works in the National Museum of Contemporary Art (MNAC Bucharest) Collection.

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Selected exhibitions

1.Selected solo exhibitions

• 2024 - solo exhibition, 4th Shift, Scemtovici&Benowitz Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
• 2018 - solo exhibition, Street intervention drawings in industrial cities of Romania
• 2015 - solo exhibition, "The Miner's Child”, Lateral Artspace, Paintbrush Factory, Cluj, Romania
• 2015 - solo exhibition, "Garden Gnomes Miners”, University Square, Bucharest, Romania
• 2014 - solo exhibition, "Schlafwagen", NAG Pop Up Gallery, Magheru One, Bucharest, Romania
• 2011 - solo exhibition, "The Journal of Immunology by Docmarcell', Alert Studio, Bucharest, Romania
• 2010 - solo exhibition, "Fresco of The Romanian Capitalist Worker'”, Press Square, Bucharest, Romania
• 2008 - solo exhibition, "Contemporary Fables”, Leo Burnett Offices (collaboration with H'Art Gallery), Bucharest, Romania
• 2007 - solo exhibition, "History Evil Night Show”, OTA Club (collaboration with H'Art Gallery), Bucharest, Romania
• 2005 - solo exhibition, "The Heroes”, H'Art Gallery, Bucharest, Romania
• 2002 - solo exhibition, "Salvinia Brewing Co”, Atelier 35, Bucharest, Romania
• 2001 - solo exhibition, "lnside – Outside”, International Center for Contemporary Art, Bucharest, Romania

2.Selected group exhibitions

• 2025 - group exhibition, “Graphic”, SIMEZA gallery, Bucharest, Romania
• 2025 - group exhibition, “Romania/Bulgaria/Turkey”, Romanian Academy gallery, Bucharest, Romania
• 2025 - group exhibition, “Crises”, Scemtovici&Benowitz gallery, Bucharest, Romania
• 2024 - group exhibition, “The Hands of Silent Women”, Bistrita Art Museum, Romania
• 2024 - group exhibition, “Contemporary Drawing in Romania” – Scemtovici&Benowitz gallery, Bucharest, Romania
• 2022 - group exhibition, "Bombs and Humans”, Celula de Arta (Carol 53), Bucharest, Romania
• 2021 - group exhibition, "Arts Sports Club - Sport in Romanian Art” MARe (Museum of Recent Art), Bucharest, Romania
• 2021 - group exhibition, "Homo Homini Rattus Est” Alert Studio, Bucharest, Romania

3.Art biennales, museum retrospectives, comprehensive retrospective exhibitions, art fairs

• 2023 - Art Fair: MOBU Art Fair, Bucharest, Romania
  
• 2004 - Art Biennale: Bucharest Contemporary Art Biennial, 2META Foundation

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Artistic Residencies, Art Researches, Collaborations, Art Projects

NA

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Selected works

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  "Fade to White", 2024, graphite/paper, 110x150 cm, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2024

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  "Writing", 2023, oil/canvas, 135x200 cm, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2023

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  "Writing 2", 2023, oil/canvas, 135x200 cm, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2023

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  "Letters", 2023, oil/canvas, 100x150 cm, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2023

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  "Signs 2", 2023, oil/canvas, 100x160 cm, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2023

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Exhibition views

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  View from show "Gnome Miners", 2015, Installation in the University Square, Bucharest, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2015

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  View from show "Schlafwagen" Exhibition, 2014, Magheru One Building, Bucharest, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2014

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  View from show "Schlafwagen" Exhibition, 2014, Magheru One Building, Bucharest, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Emanuel Borcescu 2014

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  View from show "4th Shift", 2024, Scemtovici&Bennowitz Gallery, Bucharest, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Scemtovici&Benowitz Gallery, 2024

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  View from show "4th Shift", 2024, Scemtovici&Bennowitz Gallery, Bucharest, work by Emanuel Borcescu (c) Scemtovici&Bennowitz Gallery, 2024

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Publications

1.Published books

NA

2.Published articles in journals & magazines, interviews

• Contributions in Starea Democrației

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Curating activity (Artist as curator)

NA

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Catalogues

NA

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Gallery Representation

Scemtovici&Bennowitz Gallery, Bucharest.
For further commercial and non-commercial inquiries, feel free to contact NPK

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Social Media Links

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eborcescu/
• Website: https://www.borcescu.ro

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Hashtags

(artistic practices, currents, techniques, themes - applicable hashtags for this artist)

abstract art brutalism charcoal drawing drawing figurative installation, irony painting social criticism vernacular

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Compatible and inspirational artists:

(artist-mentioned reference list)

• Leon Kossoff,
  
• Anselm Kiefer,
  
• Ioana Batranu,
  
• Ion Grigorescu
  
• Leon Kossoff
  
• Anselm Kiefer

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