Gheorghe Fikl – a Romanian painter who becomes world famous

A discrete figure, that always puts his art before his person, Gheorghe Fikl has impressed collectors, critics and art enthusiasts around the world. He studied painting at the West University in Timișoara and has had exhibitions at Solo Show Slag Gallery, New York, Schortgen Gallery in Luxemburg and many other places around the world.

Art has always featured heavily in his life, as his great-grandfather, who studied in Vienna, was an art enthusiast and his grandfather was also a painter and left behind a few notable works. There is no question, however, that the artistic aspirations of this family have been completely fulfilled in the work of Gheorghe Fikl.

His paintings will either amaze or shock you, but they will definitely not leave you indifferent. Fikl confesses that he means his art to be declarative and not decorative and he accepts that risk that his art might be too outrageous to hang up on a living room wall.

Art critic, Chen Tamir, describes Fikl’s paintings as being very balanced and always featuring a mythological animal of sorts. The central figure is illuminated from a single source overhead, but the light fades before hitting the floor. Tamir considers this to be reminiscent of theatre plays, which rely on dramatic lighting.

An important theme in his work is the altar, which explains the abundance of animals that used to be sacrificed and his very visceral chunk of meat series. One painting called “Shrine” depicts two priests officiating a religious service, two chunks of meat hanging from the ceiling and a herd of sheep leaving the room.

At other times, his paintings use Baroque elements, suggesting the attempt to capture the grandeur and sublime of a bygone architectural style.

Prince Charles of Wales learned about the Romanian painter from Archduke Andreas von Habsburg-Lothringen, who saw Fikl’s works in an exhibition. The archduke furnished Prince Charles with a catalogue of the painter’s works and he took an interest in them as well.

The Prince acquired the painting called “White Cadillac, Peacock Gold Curtain“, which is also on the cover of the novel “The Rich” by John Kampfner.

Sources:

”Pictorul timisorean Gheorghe Fikl ilustreaza romanul Bogatii cu o pictura din colectia printului Charles”, Timiș Online, April 30th 2015, Available at: http://www.tion.ro/pictorul-timisorean-gheorghe-fikl-ilustreaza-romanul-bogatii-cu-o-pictura-din-colectia-printului-charles/1529786 , Accessed: 07.01.2015.

”Pictorul timișorean Gheorghe FIKL, record de autor la licitația Artmark”, Ora de știri, July 14th 2014, Available at: http://oradetimis.oradestiri.ro/pictorul-timisorean-gheorghe-fikl-record-de-autor-la-licitatia-artmark/ #.VZQgbfmqpHw, Accessed: 07.01.2015.

Grimacovschi, Oana, ”Casa artistului: Gheorghe Fikl, un timişorean 'ales' de prinţul Charles”, Orizonturi culturale italo-române, September 9th 2013, Available at: http://www.orizonturiculturale.ro/ro_proza_Gheorghe-Fikl.html , Accessed: 07.01.2015.

Stoeac Vlăduți, Mirela, ”Gheorghe Fikl, pictorul timișorean care l-a cucerit pe Prințul Charles al Marii Britanii cu arta sa”, Press Alert, April 18th 2014, Available at: http://www.pressalert.ro/2014/04/gheorghe-fikl /, Accessed: 07.01.2015.

Tănăsoaica, Petre, ”Abator sau loc de sacrificiu?”, România Literară, Available at: http://www.romlit.ro/abator_sau_loc_de_sacrificiu , Accessed: 07.01.2015.