Romul Nutiu

Romul Nutiu is recognized as a major proponent of Abstract Expressionism in Romania. His unique approach blurred the line between painting and sculpture, marked by energetic strokes and obliterations. Nutiu started working in abstract modular compositions, followed by performative action paintings, representing his innovative approach to abstraction and resulting in his well-known body of work, “Dynamic Universe.” Describing it as an “aquatic experience,” he poured water and industrial car paint, guiding their interaction with a wooden bar. This process resulted in canvas imprints suspended in liquid, later collaged into relief-like compositions. From 1951 to 1957, Nutiu studied at the Art Institute in Cluj, and in 1958, he participated in the master’s class of Professor Alexandru Ciucurencu at the Art Institute in Bucharest. Alongside four Eastern European artists, Nutiu sparked discourse on Abstract Expressionism behind the Iron Curtain through a 2017 exhibition at the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in East Hampton, New York.

Submitted by 418 Gallery