Dana Mesesan
Mixed Media Artist
| SITE #5 |
Scugog Arts Space, 175B Queen St., Port Perry | with Katy MacFarlane |
I am an engineer by trade; worked in design and manufacturing architectural lighting fixtures for almost 20 years but my real passion lays in arts. In 2018, I made the decision to become a full-time visual artist. Painting has always been my passion but in 2017 I discovered steampunk art, fell in love with the process and for the last six years, have been working on finding my own style.
Starting a new career, late in life, makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop; I want to try every medium available in the most unconventional way. Through painting or building 3D stories with objects, textures and color, I’m able to express my values and feelings. I am always looking for out-of-the-box ideas and processes. Being an ‘engineer turned artist’, science, technology and art will always intertwine.
The duality in nature and human mind fascinates me. Through my art I have learned that what is right or wrong it is a matter of perspective.
I am incredibly passionate about recycling and upcycling; my 3D installations are created 95% with repurposed objects spanning from computer components, recycled plastic, fabrics, to old jewelry. The objects intertwine sometimes randomly, sometimes orderly and let the idea or the story, emerge. The more unconventional the object, the more I enjoy the challenge and the process. My pieces are also fun games of ‘I spy with my little eye’. The objects used, sometimes are symbolistic but I’m mostly attracted by their shape and texture.
Once the story on canvas is set up, I prime everything and start fresh with a white canvas. At this point I use acrylics and other mediums to create my own colour composition.
My 3D installations on canvases reflect my opinions and values about recent events, environment and humanity.
Dana is an engineer by trade, turned visual artist. She studied at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in her hometown where she received her engineering degree in 1993. As a young child and teenager, she loved to draw, paint, create collages or be involved in any kind of creative activity. Despite her aptitude for mechanical engineering, Dana’s real passion rested in the arts. Her dream was to one day be brave enough and become an artist.
Born and raised in Romania, Dana immigrated to Canada in 1996. She has carved a successful career for herself as a design engineer focused on architectural lighting fixtures. Her innate creativity had finally found a channel and for over 18 years Dana designed lighting fixtures with the very same passion that supported her drawings and paintings. Her career progressed from Junior Engineer to the managerial role of Chief Engineer. Like most individuals keen on adding an artistic element to their work, she began to contemplate whether this path aligned with her true passion.
In 2012, she shared her passion for painting and drawing with one of the engineers from her team. The colleague told her that his wife is a fellow painter and art teacher. In her words, “It felt like a sign”. For the next two years, Dana would attend Annika Zalmover’s painting classes every Monday. The classes were not only therapeutic, but Annika encouraged her to try different mediums including oil, pencils and watercolour. This would be the start of a very special journey.
Painting has always been her passion but in 2017 she discovered steampunk art. Dana fell in love with the process and for the last years, she has been working to find her own style.
It was in 2018 when Dana decided to make a momentous choice and become a fulltime artist.
Dana uses painting, drawing and building 3D stories with objects, as tools to express her values and feelings.
Her art is fueled by spontaneity; any object can become a canvas.
Combining her love for technology and nature has allowed Dana to discover that abstract work brings about an air of freedom that she’s always enjoyed. Therefore her work is mostly abstract even though sometimes she does traditional landscapes or portraits for her family and friends.
She is incredibly passionate about recycling and upcycling; her 3D installations on canvas are built with repurposed objects spanning from computer components, recycled plastic to old jewelry. The more unconventional the object, the more she enjoys the challenge and the process. Her pieces are like complex and inviting games of ‘I spy with my little eye’.
Her arrangements have allowed the motherboard to become the central tenant of her canvas (‘Open to possibilities’), whereas other pieces (‘The old violin’) have allowed musicians to interact with her art – literally.
Dana hopes that her audience is left with the same spark of curiosity that originally fueled her creative process.
Like in her training as a mechanical engineer she is determined to improve her skills as a visual artist and take the right steps towards creating a successful artist career.
