I saw two portraits by Daniela Donțu at Elite Art Gallery a few days ago, and was quite struck by her technique and aesthetic. Here’s Stări (1) / States [of Mind] (1) and Gânduri / Thoughts.

For some reason I couldn’t identify right away, I found these paintings mesmerizing. It took some photographing of old photos to realize what has drawn me to Donțu’s work, States [of Mind] (1) in particular. It’s the way the fluid handling of paint creates the suggestion of reflection-filled layers, as if you were looking at the man through a series of windows—or veils of affective memory.