Between design and art, I explore stories of identity, connection, and change

I am Delia Munteanu (b. 1983, Romania). My family fled Romania as political refugees after the 1989 Revolution, and we arrived in Belgium in 1991. In those uncertain years, paper and pencils became the place I could always return to – a quiet space of my own. That need to draw, to make images, has stayed with me ever since.

I studied at Sint-Lukas in Antwerp, where I refined my eye for design, form, typography, and visual language. From there I built a long career in the graphic design sector, creating visual identities and shaping brands for a wide range of clients. Design taught me how to communicate with clarity, to think conceptually, and to balance message with form.

At a later stage I turned more consciously to my personal practice, enrolling in painting at the Academy of Berchem, where I am now in my fourth year. Here I experiment with drawing and painting. Charcoal is a recurring medium, though not the only one – I am drawn to materials that allow for intensity, contrast, and layered expression.

My artistic work reflects on contemporary themes such as individualism, intolerance, the longing for connection, and the rise of artificial intelligence. What drives me is the tension between precision and openness: the clear lines I carry from design, and the vulnerability I explore through art.