Oana Maria Pop

Oana Maria Pop (b. 1989) is a Romanian mixed-media artist whose work explores the human form through silicone, colour, and photography. She examines its evolution, its relationship with nature, and its place within the broader world and universe. Drawing from scientific and feminist perspectives, she investigates how cultural narratives shape and control the body, often questioning the enduring metaphor of nature as a means of categorisation and limitation. 

 

A PhD candidate at the University of Fine Arts and Design in Cluj-Napoca, her research focuses on the representation of women in art and society, particularly how language—both in artistic expression and art history—constructs and confines women’s roles.

 

In 2023, she undertook an artist residency in Berlin, granted by Urban Nation Museum and Stiftung Berliner Leben. During this residency, she explored media linguistics and analysed the written language used in press reports on domestic violence and femicide. In 2024, she expanded her practice into scenography, exploring how space and human interaction shape one another beyond traditional visual art contexts.

 

Her works have been presented in both public institutions and independent or private art spaces, nationally and internationally, through which Pop critically engages with the intersection of feminism, language, and scientific inquiry, challenging historical narratives and reimagining how human and planetary bodies are perceived, represented, and understood. By tracing connections between the human form, the earth, and the cosmos, she seeks to map a broader history of life that transcends imposed boundaries and redefines our place within it.

 

GALLERY REPRESENTATION:

19.03.2018 – Present: Collaboration with IAGA Contemporary Art Gallery, Cluj-Napoca, RO.

 

​RESIDENCIES:

16.01.2023 – 15.12.2023 – FRESH AIR at Urban Nation Museum and Stiftung Berliner Leben, Berlin, DE.

 

​EDUCATION:

​2020 – Present: PhD student, University of Fine Arts and Design, Cluj-Napoca, RO. 

2011 – 2013 – MA University of Fine Arts and Design, Cluj-Napoca, RO. 

2008 – 2011 – BA University of Fine Arts and Design, Cluj-Napoca, RO.

 

SCHOLARSHIPS:

​2012 – 2013 – Erasmus internship at Tanya Leighton Gallery, Berlin, DE; 

2010 – Erasmus scholarship at Accademia di Belle Arti di Venetia, IT.

 

EXHIBITIONS:

03.10.2025 – 12.10.2025 – Arhiva de Sunet: Jazz in Brașov 70/80, Brașov Art Museum, Brașov, RO. Organiser: Dialectic Centre. (Group)

27.06.2025 – 03.07.2025 – 48 Stunden Neukölln - Architectures of Healing, Galerie AC. Art & Dialogue, Berlin, DE. Curator: Ioana Mandeal  (Duo)

15.05.2025 – 22.06.2025 – Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but in looking outward together in the same direction, La Cave - Institute Français de Roumanie, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Curator: Liviu Bulea (Group)

25.10.2024 – Arhiva de Sunet: Jazz x Sibiu x Viață 70-80, Klub Kazališta Komedja – Kontesa, Zagreb, HR. Organiser: Dialectic Centre. (Group) 

13.10.2024 – 22.10.2024 - Arhiva de Sunet: Jazz x Sibiu x Viață 70-80, Casa Artelor, Timișoara, RO. Organiser: Dialectic Centre. (Group)

17.09.2024 – 28.09.2024 – Arhiva de Sunet: Jazz x Sibiu x Viață 70-80, Cer Deschis Gallery, Sibiu, RO. Organiser: Dialectic Centre. (Group)

07.09.2024 – 06.10.2024 – Fortune Cookies for the Future, Sibiu Contemporary Art Festival, National Museum Brukenthal, Sibiu, RO. Coordinators: Prof. univ. Dr. Ioan Sbârciu and Lect. univ. dr. Georgeta Olimpia Bera. Curator: Karina Ganea. (Group)

14.03.2024 – 30.04.2024 – Good Girls Imaginarium, Centre for Philosophy and Art - 1001 Arte, Bucharest, RO. Curator: Cristian Cojanu. (Group)

17.12.2023 – 15.02.2024 – On Egoism, Flux I bell.place, Berlin, DE. Curator: Harm Lux. (Group)

07.12.2023 – 15.03.2024 – Architectures of Healing, [Ceci n'est pas une] Gallery, Art space of Rumänisches Kulturinstitut, Berlin, DE. Curator: Ioana Mandeal. The project was developed during the Artist-in-Residence program at Urban Nation Museum and Stiftung Berliner Leben, Berlin, DE. (Duo)

15.11.2023 – 23.12.2023 – Queermas, The Gay Creation, Berlin, DE. Curator: Liviu Bulea. (Group)

28.10.2023 – 29.10.2023 – Linguistic Xpedition, Open House, Urban Nation, Berlin, DE. (Open House)

27.10.2023 – 31.03.2024 – Linguistic Xpedition, FRESH A.I.R. Scholarship Exhibition #8, Urban Nation Project Space Bülowstraße 97, Berlin, DE. Curator: Janine Arndt. (Group)

24.10.2023 – 18.11.2023 – Small Details, Not Important, IAGA Contemporary Art Gallery, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Curator: Camilla Remondina. (Solo)

26.08.2023 – Linguistic Xpedition, Open House, Urban Nation, Berlin, DE. (Open House)

16.03.2023 – Heartbeat 22, MNAC 2022 Art Acquisitions, Bucharest, RO. Contributor to The Book of Change project, developed by Georgiana Dobre & Kjersti Vetterstad. (Group)

26.01.2023 – 06.02.2023 – Put it in Other Words, Center for Urban Culture, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Coordinators: Prof. univ. Dr. Ioan Sbârciu, Lect. univ. dr. Georgeta Olimpia Bera. (Group)

25.11.2022 – 10.12.2022 – Karambol, Cosmic House, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Curator: Gilda Ghinoiu. (Group)

09.09.2022 – 16.10.2022 – Book of Change 2021, Autumn Exhibition 2022, Association of Norwegian Visual Artists, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, NO. Contributor to The Book of Change project, developed by Georgiana Dobre & Kjersti Vetterstad. (Group)

29.04.2022 – 15.05.2022 – Mapping Frames, The Museum of Art, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Curator: Lect. univ. dr. Georgeta Olimpia Bera. Coordinator: Prof. univ. Dr. Ioan Sbârciu. (Group)

12.03.2022 – 07.05.2022 – DOT ~ ​​TO ~ DOT, Intervention by TRIUMF AMIRIA, Museum of Queer Culture in LONG EYE*, Kunsthalle Bega, Timișoara, RO. Curator: KILOBASE BUCHAREST. Contributor to The Book of Change project, developed by Georgiana Dobre & Kjersti Vetterstad. (Group)

20.01.2022 – 23.01.2022 – The Cokedown Effect, Booming Contemporary Art Show, Lieu.City, IT. Curator: ACME Art Lab. (Group)

04.12.2021. – 09.01.2022 – YOU FEEL ~ AND DRIFT ~ AND SING, Intervention by TRIUMF AMIRIA, Museum of Queer Culture, Combinatul Fondului Plastic, Bucharest, RO. Curator: KILOBASE BUCHAREST. Contributor to The Book of Change project, developed by Georgiana Dobre & Kjersti Vetterstad. (Group)

07.07.2021 – 18.07.2021 – NO TO ABUSE AGAINST WOMEN, International Group Exhibition of Mail Art, Galateca Gallery, Bucharest, RO. 

Curators: Anca Boeriu, Andreea Sandu. (Group)

10.06.2021 – 22.06.2021 – Memoria Tainuită a Locului, The Museum of Art, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Coordinators: Prof. univ. Dr. Ioan Sbârciu, Prof. univ. dr. Aurel Codoban, Lect. univ. dr. Georgeta Olimpia Bera. (Group)

22.10.2020 – 01.11.2020 – Neo-Manifest Romantic, The Museum of Art, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Curator: Prof. univ. Dr. Ioan Sbârciu. (Group)

11.04.2019 – 11.05.2019 – Dismayland, IAGA Contemporary Art Gallery, Cluj-Napoca, RO. (Solo)

11.05.2018 – 27.05.2018 – The Garden, Visual Kontakt Gallery, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Curator: Liviu Bulea. (Group)

23.04.2015 – 28.04.2015 – Mater Familias, Casa Tiff, Cluj-Napoca, RO. Curator: Liviu Bulea. (Solo)

18.06.2015 – 20.06.2015 – Local Municipalities, part of the INTRUSION: Things Found Inside the Large Wooden Horse project, Visual Kontakt Gallery, Oradea, RO. Curator: dr. Olimpia Bera. (Group)

 

ART FAIRS:

Represented by IAGA Contemporary Art Gallery:

14.09.2023 - 17.09.2023 – Art Athina, International Contemporary Art Fair, Athens, GR.

19.05.2023 - 28.05.2023 – Mobu Art Bucharest, RO.

24.03.2023 - 26.03.2023 – Cremona Art Fair, Cremona, IT.

06.10.2022 - 09.10.2022 – Art Market Budapest, HU.

04.11.2021 – 07.11.2021 – The Cokedown Effect, The Others Art Fair, Torino, IT.

Curator: ACME Art Lab;

15.10.2021 – 17.10.2021 – Art Fair Vilnius, Vilnius, LT.

28.05.2021 – 06.06.2021 – Lucca Art Fair, Digital Art Fair, IT.

22.10.2020 – 25.10.2020 – Budapest Art Market, Art Fair, Budapest, HU.

03.10.2019 – 06.10.2019 – Budapest Art Market, Art Fair, Budapest, HU.

22.11.2018 – 25.11.2018 – Art Thessaloniki International Contemporary Art Fair, Thessaloniki, GR.

 

SCENOGRAPHY:

12.10.2025 – RENT-A-FAMILY.SRL by Andreea Tănase, directed by Diana Dragoș, North Theatre, Satu-Mare, RO.

(Set Design and Costume Design)

11.09.2024 – SLOTS by Ioana Sileanu, directed by Mihai Lukács, Tranzit House, Cluj-Napoca, RO.

(Set Design and Costume Design)

20.04.2024 – YOU MAY DREAM by Izumi Suzuki, adapted by Alexa Băcanu, directed by Diana Dragoș, North Theatre, Satu-Mare, RO.

(Set Design and Costume Design)

 

VOLUNTEER WORK:

25.03.2021 – Present: Volunteer at The Centre for Prevention and Combating Domestic Violence in Cluj-Napoca, RO.​

​

WORKSHOPS AND TALKS:

​26.01.2024 – Architectures of Healing in Dialogue on the topic of media linguistics and its effect on women’s safety, in relation to anthropologist Judith Albrecht’s research in Iran and Germany, and the relationship between state and family, domestic violence and femicides in both contexts.

27.10.2023 – 28.10.2023 – Mural painting on community wall, Sandstraße 64, Berlin, DE.

Organiser: Stiftung Berliner Leben.

Coordinator: Xenia Müller.

Partners: Kita Wonderblume.

 

17.07.2023 – 18.07.2023 – Mural painting on community wall with the youth club B18 and neighbourhood children from Blasewitzer Ring 4, Heerstraße Nord, Berlin, DE.

Organiser: Stiftung Berliner Leben.

Coordinator: Xenia Müller.

​

14.05.2021, 28.05.2021, 24.11.2022 – Drawing and Painting Workshops at The Centre for Prevention and Combating Domestic Violence in Cluj-Napoca, RO.

Coordinator: Fărcaș Raluca.