Stunning! The shadow of Mark Rothko has been resurrected. The canvases of the young Romanian painter Alina Schiau hint at it, and reveal it more clearly to those who know how to look. Elongated and stretched out in broad, brightly coloured bands and unfurled in their raw state, the latest works by this Romanian-born artist raise many questions.
Why such a cleverly harmonious mix of ingredients? To create a unity of reading that is both harsh and disconcerting.
Rothko was driven by an absolute quest for the perfect tone. This is why he went to such extremes, even taking his own life, to quench his ‘thirst for beauty’ in a universe of silence and unity. As in the 'contemplative' chapel of the De Menil Foundation in Houston, he was the author of his own colourful, univocal score.
Alina Schiau (pronounced Skiaou) achieves this differently: by engaging with matter alone, like a madwoman, finally free of the Ceaușescu era.
Lucie Braconnier (Galerie Partage, Sofitel Lyon) has, once again, invested in her convictions.
Bernard Gouttenoire
Art critic
2025
ALINA SCHIAU - ROTHKO’S “EQUIVALENCE”