Inspired by the large Romanian community living in the UK, our artist in residence Raul Stef has identified and photographed diverse Romanian born figures setting the cultural agenda in London, including ballet dancer Alina Cojocaru, actress Anamaria Marinca and musician Alexander Balanescu amongst others.
The photos capture their pathways from native Romania to the UK, as they walked on the road to their present careers. Flashbacks of their past experiences and vivid portraits from today take the viewers to a fascinating discovery of exemplary people with (extra)ordinary lives.
From East to West: A Portrait of Romanian Diaspora is an ongoing and subjective collection of photographs, which gives just a glimpse of the diversity of Romanian community in London. The project will continue next year, presenting new leading figures from various other fields of activity.
Alongside the illustrious names of Alina Cojocaru (principal dancer at The Royal Ballet of London), Anamaria Marinca (starred in the Palme d'Or winner 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days) and Alexander Balanescu (violinist and composer, the Balanescu Quartet), the exhibition also features Remus Azoitei (violinist, professor at the Royal Academy of Music in London), Anda Anastasescu (pianist, President of the Constantin Silvestri International Foundation), Monica Madas (singer-songwriter and puppeteer), Iolanda Costide (architect, Paul Neagu Estate), Cristina Catalina (actress and theatre producer), Dana Popa (photographer, Jerwood Prize winner), Mariana Gordan (visual artist) and Ramona Gonczol (lecturer in Romanian language at the SSEES, University College London).
Photographer Raul Stef started a long term project about the Romanian migration back in 2005, covering communities in Spain and Belgium. The exhibition at the Romanian Cultural Institute in London is a chapter of this project and the concluding event of the photographer's residency within the Attic Arts programme.
Raul Stef is based in Cluj, Romania. He is currently studying MA in Documentary Photography at the University of the Arts London. He took part in various group exhibitions and worked as photojournalist for Romanian and UK newspapers such as Clujeanul, The Times and Daily Mail. Correspondent for Paphotos (UK), Mediafaxfoto (Romania), Intact Images (Romania).
When: 9 December 2010 - 20 January 2011; Open: Monday - Friday, 10am - 5pm. Where: Romanian Cultural Institute London. Free admission.
