I believe that creativity is a profound human trait, one that allows us to envision the world differently, perhaps better. As artists, we have the unique ability to bring these visions to life, sparking dialogue on how our world can be safer, more inclusive, and more tolerant. Through our art, we help others imagine possibilities for a better, more connected future.
My work explores themes of community, nature, and the lived experiences of women. As a woman, I approach my practice from this perspective, researching into both personal and collective stories. I am fascinated by the power of communities as spaces of support and growth, drawing inspiration from my own experience in a small, tight-knit town near the mountains of Eastern Europe. Nature, too, is a central theme—its deep connection to well-being and its role in shaping our identities is something I explore in my work. Being a gardener and a cook in my personal life, it’s just natural to reflect on the history of how women nurtured their family by growing and cooking their own food.
I use a variety of mediums in my practice, driven by my curiosity and desire to push the boundaries of creative expression. My tools range from watercolor and digital images to animation, video, text, and augmented reality. Each medium allows me to bring my ideas to life in unique ways, whether through the tactile, meditative nature of watercolor or the immersive, interactive potential of digital technologies. I see these mediums not only as tools but as active participants in the storytelling process, allowing my work to resonate on different sensory levels, seeking to produce some sort of surprise reveal to the public.
For me, each project is an exploration—a journey into identity, seeking primary images that can move in certain ways, searching text that can add a stricking truth. My process is a combination of research, intuition, and experimentation, often allowing the ideas to unfold as I create. Ultimately, I aim for the possibility of creating spaces of thought and reflection.
Ioana Nicoară (b. 1990, Bucharest, Romania) has been drawn to graphic arts since childhood, later graduating in the field from the University of Arts Bucharest. She also studied for a semester at Magdalena Abakanowicz Art University in Poznan, Poland through the Erasmus program, where she had significant exposure to contemporary art.
While pursuing her master's degree at the University of Arts Bucharest, she began working in animation, notably contributing to The Magic Mountain (2015) by Anca Damian. Since 2012, she has worked as an animator, art director, sometimes scriptwriter for major Romanian animation productions, including The Blissful Accidental Death (2017, dir. Sergiu Negulici), being active in the animation community also as juror for international competitions at animation festivals, helding presentations on her work, animation workshops and developing personal project, films or art installations, using animation.
Alongside her animation career, starting with 2016, she developed a strong studio practice, leading to her first solo exhibition in 2017 at AnnArt Gallery, Bucharest, followed by a second in 2021. She has participated in numerous group exhibitions, including the most recent Viziunile Grădinăresei at Fundația Triade in Timișoara (November 2024), Art Safari 2024 – Young Blood 3.0, curated by Călina Coman, Mapping the City from the Outside in Câmpulung, curated by Gia Țidorescu as part of the Accelerator Mentorat program (June 2024), and Changing Environments. Together, presented by Neo Art Connect as part of TIFF 2024 at Muzeul de Artă Cluj-Napoca (June 2024).
Also in 2016, she has also developed significant cultural projects using augmented reality. Since 2019, she has been the creative and logistical director of AR projects on the Reniform App, working with 3D animation, both for commisioned projects, in house developed projects, funding research and developing also personal artistical projects using these tools. Some of her key AR projects include Ne/Re-văzut, a project based on oral history by Asociația Narative, funded by Centrul de Proiecte, featuring three collaborative multimedia installations with Cinty Ionescu and Makunouchi Bento in Timișoara, 2024; IdentitAR Feminin, an augmented digital installation exhibition where she was the artistic coordinator, animator, and illustrator, funded by AFCN and presented in Câmpulung, Sfântu Gheorghe, Suceava, Râmnicu Vâlcea, and at RADAR 2024 in Bucharest; Povestea mea (2022-2023), a project by Identity Education exhibited in Timișoara, Bucharest, and Chișinău; De la Neacșu la AR, an AR exhibition held in Piața Unirii in Timișoara, Piața Primăriei in Câmpulung Muscel, and Muzeul Țării Crișului in Oradea, organized by Reniform Production and Triade Foundation; Wallachian Chimeras, the animated book, developed with Triade Foundation in 2019.
Her work merges animation, watercolor, and AR to explore themes of personal and collective identity, women’s experiences, and the role of community. She currently lives in Câmpulung Muscel, Romania.