Stories We Grow Together

Dear friends,

I hope you’re having a beautiful summer.

These past months have been filled with two projects that, although very different, are deeply connected in my mind. One happens in a garden full of people, performances and conversations. The other happens in the quiet space of the studio, through watercolor. Both are about creating spaces where we can meet one another.

In 2021, I was invited by Sorina Jecza from the Jecza Foundation to Timișoara, where I took part in a workshop led by Françoise Feger, Director of Audience Development at the Louvre Museum. At the time, Timișoara was preparing to become a European Capital of Culture.

One of the ideas that stayed with me from that workshop was that the Louvre is not only the world’s most visited museum. It is also an incredibly active community cultural institution, built around a structure that extends from the centre to the peripheries through programmes designed for different audiences and a sustained presence within local communities.

In the years that followed, I watched Timișoara multiply and diversify its cultural programmes at an almost unimaginable pace. The city established Centrul de Proiecte, a public institution that coordinates local cultural funding while constantly experimenting with new ways of supporting artistic production and public participation, following the same principles of decentralisation and community engagement. This was made possible by an administration with a broad vision of public well-being, one that understands culture, lifelong learning and civic participation as essential parts of a city’s identity and quality of life. I watched Timișoara flourish.

I believe art has the power to change the way we see the world. Creativity is not only an artist’s tool, it is something we all rely on throughout our lives to solve problems, adapt and imagine new possibilities. Culture is the shared space where values are formed, relationships are built, and where we learn how to live together.

When I moved from Bucharest to the small town of Câmpulung Muscel in 2020, these ideas stayed with me. Last year, together with Cristina Stănescu and the wonderful team at Convivial, we launched the first edition of Creștem Comunități, welcoming more than 600 participants through performances, workshops and public events.

I truly believe that every community, regardless of its size, deserves access to ambitious contemporary culture—and that culture becomes meaningful when it creates encounters between people.

Alongside this community work, I’ve also been preparing something I’ve wanted to share for quite some time.

I’m happy to announce a limited edition print release featuring two works from my 2026 series, The Garden is Not Empty. Both original watercolours have already found their homes, and I’m excited that they’ll now become available to a wider audience.

Each artwork is available in A4 and A3, in editions of 15 prints per size.

Every print is produced on museum-quality archival fine art paper, hand-signed and numbered, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

The series explores shared spaces, dialogue, coexistence and our relationship with nature—questions that continue to shape my artistic practice, whether through painting or community projects.

Pre-orders are open until 22 July, and shipping begins on 24 July. You can order them here.

I would love for these works to find their way into your homes.

Thank you, as always, for reading, for following my work, and for making these projects possible. Whether you attend an event, visit an exhibition, collect a print, or simply share my work with someone else, you’re helping me make dreams possible.

With gratitude,

Ioana Nicoară