Ana Popescu's New Works Explore Light, Architecture, and Summer Nostalgia

Ana Popescu continues her exploration of architecture and space through a diverse body of new work. Her ongoing series Paradise, initiated during her second residency at Paradise Air in Matsudo, Japan, uses paper collage to depict the interplay of patterns, shapes, and light found in both Vienna and Tokyo. Popescu's practice has evolved to include acrylic markers, wax pastels, paper collage, and digital techniques. She also created a series of prints for the Italian hotel Ottmanngut in Merano, capturing scenes such as a building shaded by palm trees, a landscaped garden with cypress trees, and a table setting with coffee, grapes, and cheese. Additionally, her Les Vacances series of wax pastel pencil drawings serves as a visual diary, conveying the light and melancholia of late summer. Popescu's inspiration stems from everyday observations—street corners, tree shadows, bold colors—which she archives through photographs and later reduces to essential elements. She notes that her work has become more focused on details rather than entire scenes, and she now exclusively uses self-gathered material. Her pieces evoke a sense of familiarity and the warm summer months, aiming to recreate the sensations she experienced while observing different scenes.