THE MEMORY OF COLOR. Retrospective Exhibition by Rodica OLTEANU
The Cluj-Napoca Art Museum (MACN), a public cultural institution under the administrative authority of the Cluj County Council, is organizing, from 29 September to 11 October 2026, the solo exhibition THE MEMORY OF COLOR, featuring works by artist Rodica Olteanu (painting, graphic art, and icons). The opening will take place on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, at 5:00 p.m., in the presence of the artist and her guests: Ionuț Țene, historian, poet and publicist; Florin Țene, President of the Romanian Writers’ League; Cristian Moldovan, Mayor of Luduș; Claudiu Pădurean, journalist; and Ana Pandrea, professor. The evening’s program will also include the presentation and launch of several books authored by artist Rodica Olteanu, including an art album, works of journalism, an Iberian travel journal, and impressions from exhibitions. Representing the museum and hosting the event will be Lucian Nastasă Kovacs, the institution’s manager, and Florin Gherasim, curator.
Rodica Olteanu graduated from the “Ion Andreescu” Institute of Fine Arts in Cluj-Napoca, where she studied painting, graduating in 1973. This was followed by a prolific professional career, during which Rodica Olteanu’s artistic talent found expression in numerous forms and fields. Over the years, Rodica Olteanu has held many solo exhibitions in cities throughout Romania, as well as elsewhere in Europe: in Spain, where she held four exhibitions, Greece, and the Republic of Moldova. Her artworks can be found in museums and collections in Paris, Switzerland, Israel, Morocco, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey, England, Greece, Spain, and the Republic of Moldova. In Bucharest, her works are held in the collections of two institutions: the George Enescu Museum and the National Theatre Museum.
The artist has also worked in religious painting, creating icons and restoring iconostases in various churches in Bucharest, Luduș and Sânger, as well as at Prislop Monastery, among other locations. From 1979 to 1990, she worked in the film industry at the Buftea Studios near Bucharest, creating production and set designs for numerous feature films and short films. Rodica Olteanu’s exhibitions have also been the subject of reviews written by renowned cultural figures, including Adrian Silvan Ionescu, Marin Mihalache, and Ilie Roșianu. The exhibition opening at the Cluj-Napoca Art Museum is retrospective in nature and, under the general title The Memory of Color, presents art lovers with a rich selection of approximately 90 works from Rodica Olteanu’s prolific artistic output. With this exhibition, the artist returns with affection to the city where she pursued her university studies.
The exhibition will be open to visitors from 29 September to 11 October 2026, Wednesday through Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
