BIOGRAPHY
Ioana Băltan, originally from Dragomirești, Dâmbovița, Romania, currently lives and works in London. She holds a degree in Teaching Training and a degree in Fine Arts Painting (2015) from The National University of Arts, Bucharest. Her academic journey continued with a scholarship at The Brera Fine Arts Academy Milan, culminating in a Masters in Strategies of Creation in Painting from The National University of Arts Bucharest.
Băltan’s work is characterized by a focus on the contemporary female figure, often portrayed with shiny, creaseless faces and perfect synthetic hair. Her large-scale compositions explore feminine archetypes and their historical depictions as angelic beauty icons, grotesque monsters, spiritual warriors, and more recently, animated plastic simulacra. Băltan’s urban goddesses, surrounded by fantastic landscapes, cosmic elements, wild fauna, and artificial lights, create a visual tension between beautiful fantasy and the harsh reality of contemporary female narratives. Her provocative and vivacious work challenges viewers to look beyond surface-level interpretations.
In Băltan’s own words, “My work combines various ideas about female identity, childhood memories, and imaginary adventures. I am intrigued by the history of women’s beauty standards and, through the female characters, I want to highlight contemporary beauty aesthetics. In my paintings, I choose to present a cartoon-ish Instagram-filter beauty, defined as Cartoon Glam. Unicorns, bunnies, and cakes are meaningful symbols in my paintings – they emphasize the idea of childhood, innocence, and belonging.”
Băltan is represented in Mallorca and has participated in group and solo shows in Bucharest, Spain, London, and Italy.
EDUCATION
2015 Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts Painting, National University of Arts, Bucharest
2015 Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching Training, National University of Arts Bucharest
2016 Master’s Degree Scholarship in Fine Arts, Brera Fine Arts Academy Milan
2017 Master’s Degree in Fine Arts Painting, National University of Arts Bucharest
2018 Postgraduate Scholarship – Gallery Assistant in Beaconsfield Gallery Vauxhall London
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 Fantastyfrolia – A Painted Tale with Tints of Marzipan, IOMO Gallery
2023 Feast of the Immortals, Maggio Art Consultancy x Artsy
2015 Anima Damnata, Go Contemporary Gallery, solo show, Bucharest
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Hey! Teacher! Leave Us, Kids, Alone, A66 Gallery, Mallorca
2024 Sound and Vision, 180 Studios x Art on a Postcard, London
2024 Midsummer Group, A66 Gallery, Mallorca
2024 Hair Stories, Art Safari, Bucharest
2024 RAD Art Fair, Hotel Caro, Bucharest
2023 The passerby who stays, group show, Koppel X
2022 Selected vol 2, London Paint Club, group show, Koppel X
2022 Arte Vi.Ve, Biennale of Viterbo, group show, Venice
2022 Tendencies in Painting, London Paint Club, group show
2022 Metaverse x Maggio Art Consultancy, London
2020-21 RA Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London
2019 Look at me for the last one time, Elite Art Gallery, Bucharest
2018 Group exhibition, Candid Art Trust, London
2016 Art Safari Exhibition, Go Contemporary Gallery pavilion, Dacia Palace, group show,
Bucharest
2016 Art Safari Go Contemporary Gallery Dacia Palace, Artist Presentation Bucharest,
PUBLICATIONS
2023 Women: From Unicorns to Pets, Artmajeur Magazine
2022 Issue no 2 ‘Tendencies in Painting’, London Paint Club
