Leia Mocan
As a Dublin-based multimedia artist and activist, I have a passion for creating works that focus on themes related to the environment. My artistic practice encompasses a range of mediums, including photography, video art, ceramics, sculpture, art installation, textiles, art performance, and painting.
I have a strong educational background, having studied oil painting for four years in Romania before graduating from Griffith College Dublin in 2019 with a BA in Visual Arts, Photography. Over the years, I have collaborated extensively with the Centre for Creative Practices (CFCP) and have benefited from their professional development resources, including 1:1 mentoring sessions and exposure opportunities, such as guest artist appearances on CFCP podcasts and interviews. I have also participated in several group exhibitions, including New Voices of Ireland ’19/’20/’21 and the recent Third Space Initiative in 2022.
My first solo exhibition, “Under the Sterile,” was held at GalleryX in April 2023, and I am currently preparing for my second solo show, “Mass of Darkness,” which will be co-curated and funded by CFCP in October 2023. The following month, I will present my third solo show, “Lost Between the Last and First Page,” at the Romanian Embassy in Dublin. In addition, I was selected as one of 10 artists for the “Words Work” workshop series, culminating with the “Mother Tongues” Festival in February 2023.
I am also dedicated to giving back to the community, volunteering as an art teacher for minors in my local community through “Foroige” .I am being a part of the upcoming “Sceal” Artist Co-operative in Balbriggan and currently setting up a Social Enterprise with charitable status “EcoEchoes” which will support environmental art practices.
My art practice is centered on environmentally friendly practices, using materials sourced exclusively from illegal dumping sites or my own waste, paired with natural elements. In painting, I work only with sustainably sourced dry pigments (Earth Pigments), and in sculpture, I use upcycled materials, mainly plastic. My work is a social critique of our consumerism-driven society, aiming to engage the viewer in a reflective exercise to ultimately effect positive change in consumer behavior and attitudes. In recent years, I have explored my roots and delved into my Romanian culture and traditions, which I left behind when I relocated to Ireland. My recent work has been influenced by my national identity, language, culture, and family traditions, as I seek to discover myself as an immigrant, woman, and artist.
Artist Statement
My work is not intended to look beautiful, to be defined as a decorative object, to please the eye. Here, aesthetics performs a different function, it acts as a form of mass communication, a channel through which an effect is transmitted. My practice represents a platform to address the environmental agenda in a conceptual context, promoted throughout all the production cycles: concept, development, project execution & presentation. These bodies of work which are created entirely out of up-cycled elements aim to promote our planet’s natural resources, creating environmental awareness, in the hope of impacting the consumer behavior. Through these objects, we may learn to honor and preserve humanity’s life support system which unfortunately, is taken for granted in our culture.
EDUCATION
Art and Tech: Digital Art, Christie’s Education Unit London, UK, Nov. 2019
BA Visual Arts in Photographic Media, Griffith College, Dublin, Ireland, 2016 – 2019
Romulus Ladea – Arts Institute, Oil Painting, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, 2002 – 2006
*Winner – National Art Olympics, Romania – Oil painting, 2005
EXHIBITIONS
“Under the Sterile” solo exhibition, works: “All that is left I“, “All that is left II“, “The death of the 160.000 years old child”, “Point of implosion”, “To be titled”, “Slides” at GalleryX, Dublin (10.04 – 15.04.2023)
“Words Work” workshop series lead by Caroline Bergvall part of “Mother Tongues” Festival , video work “Blue/ Albastru/ Azul/ Neelam”, developed in collaboration with the professional dancer Subhashini Goda and the visual artist Cleide Regina (23.01.23-17.02.23)
Group show “Umbilical” at Gallery X, Dublin. Video work “New Umbilical” developed in collaboration with the visual artist Barbara O’ Meara, over nine months (January-September 22)
Guest Artist, Culture Night. “Many Voices” group exhibition by Arts Nomad, at Pallas Studio, Dublin. Live performance: spoken word poetry recital (bilingual);“New Umbilical” & “Umbilical Cord” (23.09.22)
Group exhibition “Against the Odds: Open Studios”, by Center for Creative Practices, video work: “Umbilical Cord” (11.02.21-01.04.21)
Group Exhibition: “Locale III” A4 Studios , Dublin, Ireland. “Flat Line” – sculptural series “Beat I” & “Beat II”; video performance “Life support system” developed in collaboration with the audio artist Robert David (24.10.19-31.10.19)
Collective Ideas- collaborative and creative initiative funded by Irish Aid with a focus on global issues Sculptural work “Stop wearing dead skin” (15.06.19- 25.08.19)
Group exposition “Cultural memory, transition, temporality” included in the Culture Night. Sculptural large scale installation ”Plastic Pillar”; video work “Instructions I” developed in collaboration with the audio artist Robert David; mix media installation “Mirror, a portrait of the community, a portrait of the artist” including a series of self-portraiture photography (13.09.19-20.09.19)
“Graduate Show”, Griffith College, Dublin, Ireland; photographic installation “REstart” series (06.06.19 – 13.06.19)
AWARDS
“CFCP Project and Exhibition Award” 2023
“Third Space” bursary award funded by CFCP/ Arts Council, 2022
“New Voices of Ireland Series 8” bursary award funded by CFCP/Arts Council, 2021
Bursary Award “Covid-19 Crisis Response Award”, funded by Arts Council, 2020
“New Voices of Ireland Series 7” bursary award funded by CFCP/ Arts Council, 2019
“Noone Casey Bursary Award” funded by Griffith College, 2019
Please donate to our Causes. Every Penny received in 2023 will go to the Balbriggan Men’s Shed. Thank You!
