Ion Grigore

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Ion Grigore (b. 1940– d. 2016) was a Romanian painter and muralist whose career bridged monumental art and easel painting, deeply rooted in the traditions of folklore and popular culture. Born in Corni, Suceava County, he pursued his studies at The “Nicolae Grigorescu” Institute of Fine Arts in Bucharest under the guidance of Ion Popescu Negreni, Gheorghe Popescu, and Gheorghe Labin, specialising in monumental art. Following his graduation, he joined the same institution as a member of the teaching staff, contributing to the academic formation of future generations of artists. Grigore produced an extensive body of mural work for both sacred and secular spaces. His frescoes grace churches in Corni, Valea Lupului, Săcele, the Chapel of Dealu Monastery, Bâldana, and Suceava, while his body of work also includes commissions at the Conservatory of Bucharest, a high school in Caracal, and the Firemen’s Museum in the capital. Parallel to this, he developed a prolific practice in easel painting, encompassing landscapes, still lifes, portraits, and complex compositions. His artistic language resists strict classification, as it moves between affinities with naïve art, divisionism, and neo-impressionism, always distinguished by a vibrant chromatic sensibility. Each composition carries a subtle rhythm and vitality, reflecting both his monumental training and his deep engagement with the visual lexicon of rural culture. Ion Grigore’s works are housed in public and private collections in Romania and abroad, including in Italy, France, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, Israel, and the United Kingdom. His artistic achievements earned him numerous awards, both nationally and internationally.