Simeze 

Curator: So, here we have "Simeze," a mixed-media painting by Horia Bernea. It’s a captivating blend of organic and geometric shapes that creates a really unique visual experience. What strikes you first? Editor: Well, it feels like a coded mandala. There’s this overarching cross form, and the surrounding patterns feel almost Celtic, yet... watery. Like the memory of a culture swirling in an unconscious stream. The palette feels dreamlike. Curator: That watery feel—yes! The translucence of the colors lends that quality. And, I agree, the central cross feels symbolic. The organic patterns, the swirls, even those tiny, berry-like shapes, soften what could be a very rigid form. There's an attempt at balance. Editor: Definitely. The red triangles placed strategically also create tension, adding focal points. It's an interesting conversation between chaos and order. The cross sits inside of this very stylized mandorla, this oval almond shape that in early Christian iconography symbolizes a transitional space between Heaven and Earth, divinity and humanity. Curator: Absolutely! And even the grid underlying the cross has little yellow triangles adding bursts of light or little winks. It’s interesting how the symbols play off of one another, some feeling deeply rooted, others hinting at something new, almost playful. Bernea wasn’t shy about blending spiritual inquiry with an embrace of life’s messy uncertainties. Editor: It makes you wonder about the artist’s intent. Is he trying to reconcile traditions, or is he creating his own symbolic language? Are we looking at personal mythology? It is a journey of meaning and invites repeated examination, allowing one to unlock layers of its essence. Curator: Yes! And it's not resolved; it keeps humming. Editor: Like a half-remembered prayer. Curator: Precisely, with an echo from childhood, that makes its familiarity profound.