Tag: colours

  • Fashion revolution and sustainability

    Fashion revolution and sustainability

    The campaign targeted both the well-known fashion designers and students
    in their last years at the National University of Art (UNARTE), and the mélange
    between expertise and the courage of exploring things has created absolutely
    surprising things.


    Roxana Petrescu with the Roxy and Kids Arts Association and the UNARTE
    student Mara Malinovski, have told us more on their experience as participants
    in the aforementioned event.




    Roxana Petrescu: Bucharest
    has recently hosted the second edition of an event part of the Fashion
    Revolution Week campaign. This is a movement and every year a one-week
    campaign is being staged with very clear messages conveyed almost every time. This
    year’s message was sustainability. Students from UNARTE (the National
    University of Art) have been invited to create garments in an attempt to
    reinvent La Belle Époque and to stress the idea of sustainability in fashion.
    So, all the materials used, all the fabrics had to be recyclable, obtained and
    painted by using natural methods.




    We have met the Roxy and Kids Arts Association in the past years at
    various events and we’d like to remind you that this is an association founded
    in Romania, but which is also running collaborative art projects both in Romania
    and in Germany. UNARTE student Mara Malinovski told us about the experience she
    and her colleague, Nicoleta Bucşoru, had under the coordination of professor
    PhD Daniela Frumusanu with UNARTE, within the Fashion Revolution Week project:




    Mara Malinovski:We accepted the challenge of the Roxy
    and Kids Association and together with Nicoleta Bucşoru we saw it as an
    opportunity to develop what we had learnt so far. The idea of sustainability
    was important for us because we were able to use organic dyes in our works. So
    we split this work in two and we used turmeric and onion leaves to paint the
    fabric. And when we saw the result, how intense it was just from simple plants
    and materials that are easy to come by we realized this is a major aspect that
    should be promoted in this branch. And I believe that this idea of creating
    colours by employing materials that are within easy reach can be very useful in
    the fashion world. We are using only natural ingredients for dyes such as turmeric,
    onion leaves, red cabbage and rust. I think there are over 50 techniques I have
    so far learnt under the guidance of Mrs. Daniela Frumusanu who has taught me
    everything I know in terms of using natural dyes.






    The results obtained have matched the students’ creativity. Here is Mara
    Malinovski again at the microphone.


    Mara Malinovski: Together
    with my colleague, Nicoleta Bucşoru, I have fashioned a dress that comprises a
    corset, which she made out of pressed wool. The dress also consists of three small
    bell-shaped skirts to add to the sensation of volume and dynamism of the woman
    that wears it. The entire attire is
    naturally pained and hand-made, with an original design.






    Anything in this world can become an inspiration for a young artist, as Mara
    Malinovski has told us.


    Mara Malinovski: I believe that absolutely anything can serve as
    inspiration and give an artist ideas on how to create things, from the earth we
    are moving on to a restaurant table, for instance. I also wish to combine art
    and fashion elements and maybe create some revolutionary changes in fashion
    design.




    Roxana Petrescu from the Roxy and Kids Arts Association, has shared with
    us the story of this dress design and its source of inspiration.


    Roxana Petrescu: I would like
    to tell you how I got to create this dress. After leafing through thousands of works
    I found one titled Green Queen, an abstract painting signed by Roxana and Alexander
    Ené, in the already known Roxy
    and Kids Arts style. I did a little bit of research, what elements we should we
    taking from la Belle Epoque, and I decided that maybe this time it would be
    better to have a cooperation and that eventually led me to the talented girls
    of the UNARTE. So, this Green Queen has served as inspiration for the dress
    we exhibit here. This Green Queen painting was part of a project in Germany,
    which involved the participation of children with ages between 2 and 4 years.




    The exhibition is over, but the Roxy and Kids Arts Association also has
    other plans.


    Roxana Petrescu: We believe
    that whatever happened here should serve as a foundation for a future
    cooperation we are now planning with Fashion Revolution in Germany. Roxana Ene already
    has the concept of a project with workshops, where people get together and work
    with recycled materials. And we are thinking that maybe it wasn’t by chance
    that things got in this direction and who knows maybe we could stage a Fashion
    Revolution campaign in Germany as well.




    In the meantime, the organizers of the Fashion Revolution Week are
    striking the balance noting that Fashion Revolution Week is about people and
    their deeds in relation with fashion. And a clear message has been conveyed
    that you cannot be part of the change if you don’t believe in it.




    (bill)

  • The art that protects us

    The art that protects us

    The pattern is simple: children put patches of colour on a sheet of paper, while Roxana Ene and her son, Alexander, the artists of the ROXY &KIDS ART team see them and reinterpret them, rendering them meaningful. It is an experience about which Ive told you before: children play in a paradise of colours and substances, pencils, felt-tip pens, fruit, chocolate, even toothpaste; as for the artists, Roxana and Alexander, they continue their journey. A couple of colourful patches laid out on a sheet of paper can be the pretext for a complex painting, a painting including characters. Expressive paintings…Wiling or unwilling expressiveness, that we cannot know. And that, because we speak about art projects carried with and for children diagnosed with autism, with the Down syndrome, with psychological traumas. Ever since 2010, in Romania and Germany, Roxana Ene has been carrying collaborative art projects in placement centres or with children diagnosed with various disabilities.



    A couple of years ago, using the childrens completed drawings, a book was put together. “Do you see what I see?” was the title of the book, while its subtitle runs something like “A creative book for children, parents and teachers”. The book is part of a project stressing the needs of children with disabilities.



    Last year I met her at “Women on Matasari street”, a project where she manufactured the well-known traditional aprons that were made in her collaborative art workshops; the aprons are elements of a traditional apparel that can still be found in Romania, but also in Germany. The aprons with a pattern were very successful, they can be worn at waist level, they can cover the breasts, they can be worn sideways, by women and men alike. A great many of the costumes created as part of Roxanas projects were worn at resounding events, such as the Gopo Festival or suchlike. Nevertheless, the success the projects have enjoyed so far does not lie in the appraisal of the works and their purchase, but rather in the raising of funds supporting children with disabilities.



    Therefore, in November last year, the heART COUTURE collection of clothing was launched, consisting in tulle skirts, the traditional apron, T-shirts, scarves. It was launched as part of a fashion show offered by 20 youngsters diagnosed with the Down syndrome and by 20 normal youngsters, who were the accompanying volunteers. It was the first fashion presentation where both the creators and the models were people diagnosed with the Down syndrome.



    As usual, spring means rebirth at various levels, so Roxana Ene and the ROXY &KIDS ART team have come up with a new project.



    Roxana Ene: “This time last year, the traditional apron was born. A year later, the bandanas arrived. It was as if I saw them for the first time in my life. I didnt make much of those objects, they dont suit me anyway, I had a shawl, a headscarf, covering the neck rather than the head. When I saw the children with the Marie Curie centre in 2017, some of them were wearing a bandana to cover their heads. And seeing that, I was very much impressed. Three years have passed ever since. What I saw kind of stayed at the back of my mind. I wanted to bring some joy to the little ones. They became the creators of those bandanas and I think that gives them a feeling of joy, of pride, “look at what I have on, look at what Ive got!”. Actually, I was thinking, parents could wear that as well, so that they can have the same apparel, or the physicians, or the nurses, in token of solidarity. Thats pretty much the whole story.”



    The traditional aprons and the heART COUTURE collections are the outcome of a collaborative art project, and so are the bandanas.



    Roxana Ene: “I was at Marie Curie, a group of 7, 8 children did some abstract painting. What I do is take a childs work, make a colour copy and then work on that copy, with no intervention on the original whatsoever. In effect, I look at it just as we look at the sky and see the clouds that have all sorts of shapes. A cloud can have the shape of an elephant, it could have the shape of a tractor or a tree, for a child. Thats what its all about, that phenomenon of metamorphosis in art. Its quite simple. And interpreting that work, I dont improve it, I just reinterpret it.”


    The technique mastered by Roxana and Alexander stemmed from a need, since they had for long been working with children diagnosed with non-verbal autism, that is children who are unable to say what it is they have to convey. It is there that Roxana and Alexander make their presence felt, trying to be the voice of those children.


    Moreover, apart from the wish to reinterpret some art forms, the ROXY &KIDS ART team continues to have ambitious plans. Just like in previous projects, awareness-raising activities target the lay public to a greater extent. Also envisaged is the raising of funds for children diagnosed with all sorts of conditions.


    Roxana Ene:


    “I have been giving it a try! First off, I thought of all children and I also thought that those who were older, healthy, beautiful and wonderful and who could do all sorts of other things, maybe less interesting, they should come and give a hand! And thats how I thought that bandana somehow provides a bond that can be more efficient than any other form of art we have created so far. Showing it to the youngsters, now, for a couple of weeks since the idea has crossed my mind, we wanted to raise funds, to ask people around us to give us a hand donating a bandana for those children.”



    The project is expanding, enjoying a great amount of support already.


  • Romanian without tears

    Romanian without tears

    We have repeatedly
    said Romanian is an inflection-rich language, which means that, as a rule,
    there is an agreement between the modified noun and the adjectival modifier.
    However, there are quite a few adjectives that do not change their form. Some
    of them are derived from adverbs, while others are borrowed names of colours.


    Here are several
    such adjectives:


    Cumsecade=decent


    Roz=pink


    Gri=gray


    Albastru=blue


    Albastru-deschis=light
    blue


    Maro=brown


    Now let us use
    some of the adjectives above in meaningful, communicative patterns :


    Bunicul meu era un om cumsecade. A murit acum un
    an, iar eu inca ii simt lipsa.


    My grandfather
    was a decent man. He died one year ago, and I still miss him.


    In familia mea, surorile tatalui meu au fost femei
    foarte cumsecade.


    In my family, my
    father’s sisters were very decent women.


    Fiica mea si-a cumparat de curind un apartament si
    si-a varuit sufrageria in roz.


    My daughter has
    recently bought a flat and she had her living room painted in pink.


    Cladirile gri ale epocii comuniste inca mai pot fi
    vazute in orasele mari ale Romaniei.


    The grey
    buildings of the communist era can still be seen in all major cities across
    Romania.


    In ultimii ani
    ai vietii, bunica mea se imbraca doar in gri.


    In the last
    years of her life, my grandmother used to dress only in grey.


    Thank you all
    for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on
    learning Romanian with us. Good bye! La revedere!





  • Romanian without tears

    Romanian without tears

    We have repeatedly
    said Romanian is an inflection-rich language, which means that, as a rule,
    there is an agreement between the modified noun and the adjectival modifier.
    However, there are quite a few adjectives that do not change their form. Some
    of them are derived from adverbs, while others are borrowed names of colours.


    Here are several
    such adjectives:


    Cumsecade=decent


    Roz=pink


    Gri=gray


    Albastru=blue


    Albastru-deschis=light
    blue


    Maro=brown


    Now let us use
    some of the adjectives above in meaningful, communicative patterns :


    Bunicul meu era un om cumsecade. A murit acum un
    an, iar eu inca ii simt lipsa.


    My grandfather
    was a decent man. He died one year ago, and I still miss him.


    In familia mea, surorile tatalui meu au fost femei
    foarte cumsecade.


    In my family, my
    father’s sisters were very decent women.


    Fiica mea si-a cumparat de curind un apartament si
    si-a varuit sufrageria in roz.


    My daughter has
    recently bought a flat and she had her living room painted in pink.


    Cladirile gri ale epocii comuniste inca mai pot fi
    vazute in orasele mari ale Romaniei.


    The grey
    buildings of the communist era can still be seen in all major cities across
    Romania.


    In ultimii ani
    ai vietii, bunica mea se imbraca doar in gri.


    In the last
    years of her life, my grandmother used to dress only in grey.


    Thank you all
    for the interest you take in Romanian culture, and for being so keen on
    learning Romanian with us. Good bye! La revedere!





  • June 26, 2018

    June 26, 2018

    NO-CONFIDENCE VOTE – The no-confidence motion initiated by the National Liberal Party and backed by Save Romania Union and the Peoples Movement Party against the Dăncilă Cabinet was read out on Monday in Parliament, and is to be discussed and voted on tomorrow. The Government is criticised, among other things, for the changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure, for reducing the powers of the countrys president and for negative economic performances.





    PARTNERSHIP – Romanias deputy PM Ana Birchall, who had a meeting on Monday in Washington with the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, reaffirmed the importance of the Strategic Partnership with the US for Romanias foreign policy. The Romanian official also emphasised the need to maintain a balanced and coherent NATO policy on the eastern flank. Ana Birchall reconfirmed the goal undertaken by Romania with respect to the fair distribution of responsibilities within the Alliance, in view of strengthening its defence capabilities. Also on Monday, in a meeting with Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, Ana Birchall discussed the development of the energy resources in the Black Sea, regional energy security and the development of transport and interconnectivity projects. Birchall reiterated the Romanian Governments firm commitment to ensure a transparent and attractive investment climate for the relevant companies.





    DEFENCE – Romania faces Russian aggression on a daily basis in the Black Sea, and is fending off a wave of cyber-attacks and political interference, the Romanian defence minister Mihai Fifor said Monday in an interview to Associated Press. He added that Romania aims to be the regions main security provider and an early warning outpost for threats to fellow NATO allies. Mihai Fifor mentioned that Romania is hosting a major US military base and has a more pro-American stance than its neighbours, which has led to cool relations with Russia. The Defence Minister added that Romania plans to demonstrate that it is a pillar of stability and security in the region and to increase its contribution to mission Resolute Support in Afghanistan, from 700 troops at present to 900.





    FLAG DAY – Bucharest and other cities in Romania are hosting today military and religious ceremonies as well as air shows, to mark National Flag Day. Taking part in the events in the capital city were the Defence Minister Mihai Fifor, troops, war veterans, and retired officers. National Flag Day was proclaimed by law in 1998 and is celebrated every year on June 26. The date was chosen to mark the day in 1848 when the red, yellow and blue colours were chosen as the symbol of the Romanian nation.





    EU – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Teodor Meleşcanu, said the progress made by the European Union in the field of security and defence must contribute to strengthening the European defence and the cooperation with NATO. The statement was made in Luxembourg, at a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council, attended by the EU foreign ministers and defence ministers, in the presence of NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. Also in Luxembourg, Romania and Bulgaria presented the state and the prospects of Black Sea cooperation initiatives. Minister Teodor Meleşcanu pleaded for enhanced EU support for such joint projects.





    CYCLING – Around 250 bikers have set out today from the capital city Bucharest, from Iaşi in the north-east, Timişoara in the west and Drobeta Turnu Severin in the south-west, to meet in Alba Iulia, in the centre of the country, where the Great Union was proclaimed 100 years ago. The cycling tour is devoted to the celebration of 100 years since the formation of the Romanian nation state, on December 1, 1918. The around 500-km route will be completed in 5 days. For a short while the participants were joined in Bucharest by President Klaus Iohannis, who took the opportunity to plead for national unity.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)