"Alexandru Ioan Cuza" University of Iasi is hosting great wall pictures of one of the most important Romanian pictures - Sabin Balasa - who painted Hall of Lost Steps.

Sabin Balasa was born on June 17, 1932 in the village of Dobriceni, Olt county. He gratuated from the Fine Arts Institute in 1955. He is member of many international Academies of Art and winner of a great number of prizes for painting and cartoons.

He naturally started from the traditions of the Romanian art, which he assimilated in a creative way, and studied with interest and fervour the history and mythology of the Romanian people, pledging himself to conjure up a fascinating universe of a great expressive power, conveying the onlooker an impression or a rare strengh. Whether he paints heroes of the national pantheon like Decebalus, Stephen the Great, Balcescu or Eminescu, evokes characters of legend, epid of ballad or creates images living beyond certain time and space, Sabin Balasa constantly remains faithful to the most generous and noble human ideals.

The Hall of Lost Steps was painted during 10 years and it consists in 18 great wall paintings. Main themes include the youth, the history and the poetry of Romanian people.

The painter proves a rare power of invention and transfiguration. He proposes us a parallel fabulous mirific world, full of mistery and exotic plendour.

Mircea Deac
translated into English by Irina Bojin

Hall of Lost Steps

Moldavia

Eminescu

Sleeping Youth