Constantin Prut (2014)
(Brailita, Romania, 1936 - Canada, 2008; 1981 - settled in Canada)
Academic studies:
1964 - Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Nicolae Grigorescu, Bucharest, Romania.
1985 - Canadian citizen.
Solo exhibitions:
1969 - First solo exhibition in Bucharest, Romania followed by fifteen other solo and over seventy group exhibitions throughout the world;
1982 - Solo exhibition of painting, Columbus Centre in Toronto, Canada;
1985 - Solo exhibition of sculpture at The Goethe Institute, Toronto, Canada;
1991 - Solo exhibition of sculpture at The Carnegie Gallery in Dundas, Ontario, Canada;
1992 - Solo outdoor exhibition at The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Canada;
1993 - Solo exhibition of sculpture and drawing, The Romanian Cultural Center, New York, U.S.A.;
- Solo exhibition of sculpture at the Sculptor's Society of Canada Gallery, First Canadian Place Exchange Tower, Toronto, Canada;
1996 - Solo Exhibition, Canadian Sculpture Centre, Toronto, Canada;
1997 - Solo exhibition of painting and sculpture, White Pointe Gallery, Hanover, Ontario, Canada;
1999 - Solo Exhibition, Durham Art Gallery, Durham, Ontario, Canada;
2000 - Solo Exhibition, Rotunda Gallery, City Hall, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada;
2001 - Solo Exhibition of drawings, Nicapetre Cultural Centre, Braila, Romania.
Group exhibitions:
1976 - 38th Venice Biennial, Italy;
1981, 1985, 1987 - The 3rd, 5th and 6th International Biennials sponsored by the Skironio Museum, Greece;
1982 - International Outdoor Exhibition of Sculpture in Piraeus, Greece;
1990 - North American Sculpture Exhibition, The Foothills Art Centre, Golden, Colorado, U.S.A.;
- Outdoor Sculpture Tour at the University of Tennessee, U.S.A.;
- The Temporary Contemporary Show at The Guild Inn, Scarborough, England;
1991 - The 7th Henry Moore Grand Prize Exhibition, Japan;
- The 1st International Exhibition for Small Sculpture organized by the City of Legnano, in collaboration with Fondazione Pagani of Milan, Italy;
- The First Annual Greater Reston Arts Center Outdoor Sculpture Invitational Exhibition in Virginia, U.S.A.;
1992 - Presents the sculpture King and Queen to His Majesty King Michael I of Romania upon his visit to Toronto, Canada;
- Sculptures of the series Invocation exhibited outdoors at the Greater Reston Arts Center, Virginia, U.S.A.;
- Burlington County College, New Jersey, U.S.A.;
- Western Michigan University, Michigan, U.S.A.;
- ArtSpace Lima, Ohio, U.S.A.;
- Participates in the 12th Annual Georgia Marble Festival, Jasper, GA, U.S.A.;
1993 - Sculptor's Society of Canada 65th Anniversary, Carrier Gallery, Toronto and Canadian Tour, Canada;
- International Symposium of Sculpture, Krastal-St.Paul, Austria;
1993 - 1994 - University of Alabama at Birmingham, Outdoor Sculpture Display, U.S.A.;
1994 - Group Exhibition, Del Bello Gallery, Toronto, Canada;
- International Symposium of Sculpture in Wood, Saint Jean Port Joli, Québec, Canada;
- Group Exhibition at the National Museum of Art of Romania, Bucharest, Romania;
1995 - Osaka Triennial 1995 - Sculpture, Japan;
- Sculptors' Society of Canada annual show, John B. Aird Gallery, Toronto, Canada;
1996 - John B. Aird Gallery 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Toronto, Canada;
- Stump Carving Contest, Kirkland, Ontario, Canada;
- Group Exhibition, The Vineyard Sculpture Garden, U.S.A.;
1998 - Opening of Nicapetre Sculpture Garden, Braila Museum of Art, Romania;
- Group exhibition SSC, Toronto, Canda;
2001 - Group exhibition, Gallery, Guelph, Ontario, Canada;
2002 - Retrospective exhibition - Nicapetre Cultural Centre, Braila, Romania showcasing works created in Romania, Canada and Europe donated by the artist for the permanent collection of the museum.
Outdoor sculpture:
1971 - Carved 32 capitals in travertine for columns around the new City Hall in Targu Jiu, Romania;
1971, 1979 - Participated in symposiums of sculpture in marble, granite and stone held in Magura, Romania;
1974 - Villany, Hungary;
1977 -Počitelj, Jugoslavia;
1978 - Antalya, Turkey;
1980 - Skironio, Greece;
1988 - Straubing, Germany;
1989 - Bust of Mihai Eminescu, marble, installed outside Hamilton, Ontario;
1991 - Adam and Eve, marble, installed at Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum, Japan;
1993 - Acrotiri, marble created and exhibited in Krastal*St Paul, Austria;
1994 - Invocation (four pieces), wood, purchased and installed at the University of Alabama at Birmingham;
- Innateness, wood, Saint Jean Port Joly Sculpture Park, Quebec;
1996 - Pod, wood, Mackenzie Inn, Kirkfield, On;
1998 - Nicapetre Sculpture Garden, Museum of Braila, Romania;
2000 - Bust of philosopher Nae Ionescu, marble, installed on the grounds of the Romanian Cultural Centre, outside Hamilton, Ontario;
2002 - Busts of poet Aron Cotrus (bronze) and journalist Donev (bronze) installed on the grounds of the Romanian Cultural Centre, outside Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Works are in open air, museums and private, corporate and government collections in:
- Romania, Canada, United States, Japan, England, Greece, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Turkey, former Jugoslavia and Czechoslovakia. The artist lives and works in Toronto.
Book illustrations:
1965 - Book of poetry: Nevoia de cercuri by Geo Dumitrescu;
1966 - Book of poetry: Poeme by Teodor Bolo;
1967 - Novel: Diamantul Negru by Al Mitru;
1978 - Book: Vesmant si Podoaba by Cristina Angelesco;
1984 - Play: La Collone san Fin by Mircea Eliade.
Magazine illustrations:
1962 - 1980 - ”Romania Literara“, ”Luceafarul“, ”Albina“, ”Ifiu Muncach“, ”Roumanie d'aujourd'hui“, ”Viaţa Romaneasa“;
1991 - ”Ramuri“, ”Contemporanul-European Idea“, ”The Romanian-Canadian Observer“.
Published books:
1992 - Starts publishing the auto-biographical book "Brailita-Downtown Via U.A.P." in the monthly newspaper the Observatorul Roman Canadian, Toronto, Canada;
1994 - "Brailita-Downtown via U.A.P." published by the Museum of Braila, Romania;
2001 - "Brailita-Downtown via U.A.P." published by author in Toronto, Canada.
Awards:
1966 - Frederic Storck scholarship;
1978 - Sculpture prize awarded by the magazine "Saptamana";
1981 - Prize for sculpture awarded by the Union of Visual Artists of Romania;
1986 - Discovery I, honourable mention for sculpture awarded by the ARTPOST magazine;
1990 - The American Romanian Academy confers an award in recognition of distinguished contributions for the advancement of creative arts;
- Honourable mention from the 1990 Toronto International Art Competition; Prize for sculpture awarded by the ARTPOST magazine;
1991 - The Ueno Royal Museum Award for the commissioned large scale sculpture in marble, Adam and Eve, in the 7th Henry Moore Grand Prize Exhibition organized by The Hakone Open-Air Museum and The Utsukushi-ga-hara Open Air Museum, Japan;
- Certificate of excellence from the jurors of Art Affiliates 1991 International Art Competition in New York;
1992 - ROMFEST '92 award for bust in marble Mihai Eminescu;
1993 - The Consumers Gas Award for the painting Still Life exhibited at the Consilium Art Show organized by the Scarborough Arts Council;
1996 - City of Scarborough, Bicentennial Civic Award of Merit for outstanding achievements;
2000 - Award of merit issued by presidential decree of the Romanian Government for outstanding contribution to the current and future promotion of the poet Mihai Eminescu, and signed by the President of Romania, Emil Constantinescu and the Minister of Culture, Ion Caramitru;
2001 - The Museum of Braila, Romania, creates the “Nicapetre Cultural Centre” to exclusively showcase the creation of Nicapetre;
- Honorary Citizen of the City of Braila, Romania.
Web sources:
http://nicapetre.com/web_pages/portal_frames/0_frame_biography.html
https://www.facebook.com/CentrulCulturalNicapetre
http://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nic%C4%83petre
http://www.muzeulbrailei.ro/index.php?pn=2&idn=15625815583005
http://www.formula-as.ro/2006/743/cultura-9/expozitia-artistului-ratacitor-nicapetre-la-saptezeci-7493