Bogdan Mihai Radu

The beginnings 

Bogdan Mihai Radu is a Romanian born, London based painter. Primarily figurative, Radu is known for his dramatic, light-filled landscapes, sea-scapes, floral still-life’s and vivid, abstract paintings. While he grew up under the last years of communism, Radu had an idyllic childhood in many ways. He spent it playing in the iris-filled fields of Transylvania that surrounded the town of Talmaciu where he grew up.  Talmaciu was where Radu discovered his fascination for art. As a boy he would visit his mother in the string factory where she worked in the cross-stitch section. Radu was mesmerised by the array of threads that were soaking in brilliantly coloured dyes. He was also fascinated by the cross-stitch kits themselves. The images that had been printed for people to stitch were Radu’s first introduction to art. It is interesting how different experiences at key moments in a child’s life can resonate later. The young Radu was very taken with the stories he heard about the owner of the factory, who was English. Perhaps Radu was more intrigued than most because his grandparents lived in a villa built by the factory owner. It piqued the young boy’s interest in England and the English, so much so eventually he found himself living in London as an adult.  Several of the subjects depicted on the cross-stitch kits were by well-known English painters - John Constable being one of the reproduced artists. Constable has been a source of inspiration to Radu throughout his career, notably his treatment of the sky, light and his pioneering use of colour in landscape painting at a time when it was de rigeur to coat works with thick, brown varnish to ‘finish’ them.