Biography

Horia Damian

Born 1922 in Bucharest, Romania, died in 2012 in Paris, France. Lived and worked in Paris.

Horia Damian enrolled at the School of Architecture in Bucharest in 1941. He emigrated to Paris in 1946 where he became a student of André Lhote and Fernand Léger.

Solo Exhibitions

2019
Horia Damian, Galeria Plan B, Berlin, DE

2014
Galaxy – Project for a monument in Houston – Texas, Galeria Plan B, Berlin, DE

2009
Horia Damian, Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest, RO

1993
Romanian Pavilion at Venice Biennale, Venice, IT

1983
Les Symboles du Lieu – l’Habitation de l’Homme, Grand Palais, Paris, FR

1980
Horia Damian: 13 tableaux, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR
Horia Damian: Projet de San Francisco, Centre Pompidou, Paris, FR

1978
3 peintures, 8 dessins, Galerie Denise René, Paris, FR

1977
Horia Damian: Dessins, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1976
The Hill, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, USA

1975
20 desenhos para 5 monumentos fantasticos, Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro, BR

1974
Galaxy, Neue Galerie – Sammlung Ludwig, Aachen, DE

1972
Horia Damian: les Antimultiples, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR
Les grandes constructions, Museum of Modern Art, Paris, FR

1969
Horia Damian: 5 constructions, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1968
Horia Damian: 9 constructions, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1965
Horia Damian: les 25 Pyramides, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1964
Horia Damian, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1961
Horia Damian, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1960
Horia Damian, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1958
Horia Damian, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1957
Damian, Paintings, Leo Castelli, New York, US
Horia Damian, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

Selected Group Exhibitions

2024
Monstrul, pătratul și hohotul, MARE (Museum of Recent Art), Bucharest, RO

2021
Tracing the Fragments, K11 Musea, Art & Culture Centre, Hong Kong, HK
Infinite Beings: Joseph Beuys, Horia Damian, Ana Lupas, Mihai Olos, Erika Verzutti, Galeria Plan B, Berlin, DE

2016
Track Changes, curated by Plan B at Mendes Wood DM, São Paulo, BR

2015
Selections from The Weston Collection, Gallery at Windsor, Florida, US

2002
La culture pour vivre – de Georges Braque à Aurelie Nemours, Centre Pompidou, Paris, FR

1985
Galerie Nouvelles Images, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1983
Les symboles du lieu, Grand Palais, Paris, FR

1976
Horia Damian – Antonio Saura – Antoni Tàpies, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1975
En hommage à Edith de Bonnafos – 18 ans de rencontres, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1964
Métaphysique de la matière, Galerie Rodolphe Stadler, Paris, FR

1942
Romanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, Venice, IT

Prizes

1941 Drawing Prize, Salonul Oficial, Bucharest, RO
1956 Lissone Prize, Milan, IT
1973 Arte Comunicacao Prize, Sao Paulo, BR

Bibliography

Exhibition Catalogues, Artist Books, Monographs

• 2009
  Horia Damian. Bucharest : National Museum of Contemporary Art, 2009. [catalogue]

  2007
  Amic, Sylvain. Rugbisme! Le rugby et l’art moderne : André Lhote, Robert Delaunay, et Horia Damian. Montpellier: Musée Fabre, September – October, 2007. [catalogue]

  2005
  Petrov, Raphael; Reiss, Bernd. Horia Damian – Werke 2000 – 2005. Frankfurt / Main: Galerie Raphael, 2005. [catalogue]
  Judd, Donald. Complete Writings 1959-1975: Gallery Reviews, Book Reviews, Articles, Letters to the Editor, Reports, Statements, Complaints. Halifax, Nova Scotia: Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, 2005, pp. 24, 226.

  2003
  Grigorescu, Dan. Dicționarul avangardelor. Bucharest: Editura Enciclopedică, 2003, pp. 171-172.

  2002
  Lauter, Marlene; Reese, Beate. Concrete Art In Europe After 1945. New York: Distributed Art Publishers, 2002, pp. 329, 330, 373.
  Prut, Constantin. Dicționar de artă modernă. Bucharest: Albatros, 1983, pp. 107-110.

  1997
  Durozoi, Gérard. Diccionario Akal de Arte del Siglo XX. Ediciones AKAL, 1997, p. 166.

  1993
  Varia, Radu. Catalogue of an exhibition held at Biennale di Venezia, 45th. Venice : Biennale di Venezia, 1993. [catalogue]
  Analele Academiei Române. București: Editura Academiei, 1993, pp. 147, 279, 280.

  1992
  Varia, Radu. Horia Damian. New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1992.
  Varia, Radu. Documenta, 9 (Kassel). New York: Rizzoli International Publications, 1992.

  1990
  Harrison A., Helen. East Hampton Avant-Garde: A Salute To The Signa Gallery, 1957-1960. New York: Guild Hall Museum, 1990, p. 61.

  1989
  Petrov. Petru. Le Colisée. Frankfurt / Main: Galerie Raphael, 1989. [book]

  1988
  Tomkins, Calvin. Post-To-Neo:The Art World of the 1980s. New York: Henry Holt & Co, 1988, p. 25.

  1986
  Pârvulescu, Jean. Horia Damian. F.I.A.C. 86 Paris. One man show. KnoKKe-Le-Zoute : Elisabeth Franck Gallery, 1986.

  1985
  Chaigneau, Pierre-René. Horia Damian. Vileneuve d’Ascq, 1985.

  1983
  Tacou, Constantin. Les symboles du lieu : l’habitation de l’homme: Horia Damian, Jean-Pierre Raynaud. Paris: Éditions de l’herne, 1983.

  1982
  Leve, Manfred. Aktionen – Vernissagen – Personen. Die Rheinische Kunstszene der 50er und 60er Jahre. Eine Fotodokumentation. Rheinland, 1982, pp. 233, 234, 239.

  1980
  13 Peintures de Damian. Paris: Galerie Stadler, 1980. [catalogue]
  Jane Pool, Mary; Seebohm, Caroline. 20th Century Decorating, Architecture & Gardens: 80 Years of Ideas and Pleasure from House & Garden. Holt McDougal, 1980, pp. 237, 315.
  Bordaz, Jean-Pierre; Hulten, Pontus; Varia, Radu. Damian. Paris: Centre Georges Pompidou, 1980.

  1977
  Horia Damian, dessins, 27 Jan – 5 Mar 1977. Paris: Galerie Stadler, 1977. [catalogue]

  1976
  Varia, Radu. Horia Damian. The Hill. New York: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, 1976. [catalogue]
  Horia, Damian. Denise, Rene. Pl-B, D, E, F, G, H, I, de l’Album: 9 projets visionnaires: [estampe]. Paris: Denise Rene, 1976.

  1974
  Damian, Horia; Becker, Wolfgang; Varia, Radu; Restany, Pierre; Dali, Salvador; Argan, Giulio Carlo. Horia Damian. Galaxy (The Milky Way). Aachen: Neue Galerie, Sammlung Ludwig, 1974. [catalogue]

  1972
  Lassaigne, J.; Varia, R. Les Grandes Constructions. Paris: Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 1972. [catalogue]
  Damian: Les Antimultiples. Paris: Stadler Gallery, 1972. [catalogue]

  1968
  Varia, Radu. 9 Constructions. Paris: Stadler Gallery, 1968. [catalogue]

  1965
  Tapie, Michel. Les vingt-cinq pyramides de Damian. Paris : Galerie Stadler, 1965. [catalogue]

  1964
  Restany, Pierre. Horia Damian. Paris: Stadler Gallery, 1964. [catalogue]
  Metaphysique de la matière: Horia Damian, Constantin Karahalios, Jean Piaubert, Antoni Täpies. Paris: Stadler Gallery, 1964. [catalogue]
  Metro International Directory of Contemporary Art. Editoriale Metro, 1964, pp. 204, 206, 207.
  Modern Paintings and Sculptures: Bazaine, Bonnard, Degas, Dubuffet, Dufy, Sam Francis, Gottlieb, Hajdu, Jawlensky, De Konning, Lipchitz, Lipton, Marini, Modigliani, Moore, Nicholson, Picasso, Pissaro, Prendergast, Rouault, Soutine, De Stael, Tobey, Vuillard : from the Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Ross. New York: The Galleries, 1964, pp. 56, 59.

  1963
  Paintings and Gouaches. London: Roberst Fraser Gallery, 1963. [catalogue]

  1962
  Damian. Exhibition of paintings. Paris: Galerie Stadler, 1962. [catalogue]
  Exhibition of paintings. Munchen: Neue Galerie im Kunstler Haus, 1962. [catalogue]
  Summer Group Show: Chryssa, Cohen, Damian, Dubuffet, Lindner, Michaux, Nevelson, Requichot, Stankiewicz. London: Robert Fraser Gallery, 1962. [catalogue]

  1961
  The Pittsburgh International Exhibition Of Contemporary Painting and Sculpture. Carnegie Institute, 1961, p. 140.

  1960
  Tapié, Michel; Bayl, Friedrich. Neue Malerei: Form, Struktur, Bedeutung. Munich: Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, 1960.
  Tapié, Michel. Horia Damian- Exhibition. Paris: Galerie Stadler, 1960. [catalogue]

  1959
  Horia Damian. Exhibition of Paintings. Milan: Galleria Dell’Ariete, 1959. [catalogue]
  Alloway, Lawrence. European Art Today: 35 Painters and Sculptors. Minneapolis Society of Fine Arts, 1959, pp. 6, 23.

  1957
  Horia Damian. Exposition. Paris: Galerie Stadler, 1957. [catalogue]

Articles and reviews

• 2019
  Sterngast, Tal. “Horia Damian”, Artforum, May 2019.
  Zwirner Dorothea. “Den Kosmos fangen”, Der Tagesspiegel, May 2019.
  “Konzeptuelle Volumina: Form, Farbe und Raum in Horia Damians Werk, taz, May 2019.
  “Horia Damian´s Solo Exhibition at Galerie Plan B, Berlin”, Blouinartinfo, 2019.

  2009
  “Works of painter Horia Damian shown in Romania for first time in 60 years,” The Times, September, 2009.
  Goagea, Constantin. “Artist and architect artist and architect,” e-zeppelin.ro, November, 2009.
  “ULTIMA ORA / O mare expozitie Horia Damian la Palatul Mogosoaia,” Ziarul Financiar, 2009.

Press

• Sterngast, Tal. "Horia Damian", Artforum, 2019

• Zwirner Dorothea. "Den Kosmos fangen", Der Tagesspiegel, 2019

• „Konzeptuelle Volumina“: Form, Farbe und Raum in Horia Damians Werk, taz, 2019

• "Horia Damian´s Solo Exhibition at Galerie Plan B, Berlin", Blouinartinfo, 2019

• ”Works of painter Horia Damian shown in Romania for first time in 60 years,” The Times, 2009

• Goagea, Constantin. ”Artist and architect artist and architect,” e-zeppelin.ro, 2009

• ”ULTIMA ORA / O mare expozitie Horia Damian la Palatul Mogosoaia,” Ziarul Financiar, 2009

• Smith, Roberta. "Long Island Art, a Refuge From the Whirl," The New York Times, 1990