Marius Bejera, b. 1986 in Baia Mare (RO), lives and works in Lyon (FR).

Marius Bejera’s creative process begins with a mental image, a preliminary sketch that lingers and evolves over time. Instead of planning every single detail in advance, he lets the work develop gradually, guided by intuition and the evolution of ideas. He begins by sketching these fragile images and as the work progresses, he returns to his notebooks and earlier sketches to find elements that resonate with the evolving composition.

Through processes of extraction and reinsertion, Bejera deconstructs images and materials, shaping his works into structures through a fluid process that brings to light certain forgotten facets. This disruptive act alters the present through acts of omission, displacement, and insertion, allowing imaginative elements to seep in. Some of his paintings include sewn fragments from abandoned canvases or drawings that infiltrate and merge with other drawings. Sculptural assemblages and installations are constructed from destroyed paintings and drawings, found and modified objects, as well as molded materials.

The figures he depicts are immersed in absent or transitional spaces, in which partial objects and vague associations predominate. Certain elements remain incomplete, yet traces of the familiar can be found in all these overlapping layers.
Bejera’s body of work invites the viewer to explore the blurred boundaries between the present and memory, offering an insight into the shifting nature of personal and collective identities.

Marius Bejera has presented his work in museums, galleries, and cultural centers. He held solo exhibitions at White Cuib (Cluj-Napoca) and Nano Gallery / Centrul de Interes (Cluj-Napoca), and his works have been included in group exhibitions at Friche Space / Centrul de Interes (Cluj-Napoca), VÆG Contemporary Art Gallery (Aalborg), and Museum of Art and Visual Culture (Odense).

Bejera also participated in a documented performance as part of an art project by Emily Ghazal (Enschede). He was selected for the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists’ RBSA 2023 Drawing Prize and participated in the Luxembourg Art Prize, receiving a certificate of artistic achievement. His practice has been featured in Draxing Pox, Al-Tiba9 Contemporary Art Magazine, ISSUE 17, the Contemporary Drawing Publication by Catalina Nistor and Dan Beudean, and Suboart Magazine Nr. 50.

Education

2007-2010 University of Art and Design Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Graphic Arts (BFA)

2007-2010 University of Art and Design Cluj-Napoca, Romania | Department for Teacher Training

Solo Exhibitions

“Default Image” at White Cuib, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in 2023.

“DemoGraphics – Rhythm and Flow” at Nano Gallery (Centrul de Interes), Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in 2019.

Selected Group Exhibitions

”Why is there something and not nothing?” at Friche Space (Centrul de Interes), Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in 2021.

”Winter Selections” at VÆG-Contemporary Art Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark, in 2015.

“Tattoo – From Maritime Heroes to World Art” at Brandts – Museum of Art and Visual Culture, Odense, Denmark, in 2014.