Gheorghe Fikl “Labyrinth”

April 2 to May 9, 2009
Opening reception: Thursday, April 2, 6 PM to 8 PM

Gheorghe Fikl (b. 1968) is a Romanian artist from Timisoara, where he graduated from the painting department of West University, Timisoara. His striking images and the violent tones, in which the antagonistic symbols of absolute piety and aggressive carnality explore each other from a distance, and reveal a permanent and almost unbearable psychological tension that focuses especially on a “no one’s land” in between them.

Fikl’s approach is starkly uniform. His compositions are almost always balanced, with a central elongated animal figure set against a symmetrical background. The central figure is lit dramatically, with a single source of light from above, as if taking center stage in a theater production. Indeed, his works seem plucked directly from the theater, with a complex drama unfolding in each painting. They are like sinister operas rendered in paint.

“Strange worlds meet on the surfaces of Gheorghe Fikl’s opulent paintings. The grand and awe-inspiring kingdom of Life, of animals and nature, is set against the luxurious backdrop of lavish objects and decadent settings. In Fikl’s paintings two forms of bounty collide to produce a hybrid world in which glory, beauty, and elegance reign supreme.” —from the catalog essay by Chen Tamir

Fikl’s solo shows include “Solo Exhibition,” Gallery Calina, Timisoara, Romania (2008); “Solo Exhibition,”
Gallery Carturesti, Timisoara, Romania (2005); “Solo Exhibition,” Gallery Posibila, Bucharest, Romania (2005); “Solo Exhibition,” Art Club, Timisoara, Romania (2004).

Fikl’s group shows include “Against All Odds,” Slag Gallery, New York (2008); “Group Exhibition,” Dana Gallery, Iasi, Romania (2007); “Exhibition Organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute,” Romanian Embassy, Paris, France (1999).

An illustrated catalog including essays by Lyra Kilston, senior editor of Modern Painters, and Chen Tamir, independent curator and director of Flux Factory, will be published in conjunction with the exhibition.

SLAG Gallery specializes in contemporary Eastern European art and is operated by owner and director Irina Protopopescu.

SLAG Gallery is located at 531 West 25th Street, Ground 10 (between 10th and 11th Avenues).
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 AM to 6 PM.

For press inquiries and reproductions, contact Irina Protopopescu at SLAG Gallery, 917 977 1848.
For general inquiries, contact Özkan Cangüven, 212 967 9818 or 646 457 7663

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