We interviewed Tudor because his practice challenges conventional power structures with a bold and critical voice. His unique way of combining playful aesthetics with serious social commentary offers a compelling reflection on contemporary society. His perspective brings valuable insight into how art can disrupt, provoke, and inspire.

1. WHAT WOULD MAKE YOUR SOUL SING? WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

I’ll risk sounding cheesy, but I’m not going to lie or think of something else. For the past several months I have been madly in love with my partner. We moved in together in March and seeing her near me in the morning really makes my soul sing. She makes me really happy.

2. A CHILDHOOD STORY THAT ANNOUNCED THE CREATIVE PERSON YOU ARE TODAY

I can’t really think about a specific moment. I always used to draw. I remember this spot in my grandparent’s kitchen. I used to sit on this tiny wooden chair - I think they are called carpenter chairs - and used a regular white chair as a drawing table. I really liked drawing there. 

I also remember being very young, like six years old. My parents took me to art classes at the Children’s Palace. There was a contest. We had to paint the Crucifixion and after that use the same piece of paper and paint the Birth of Baby Christ over it. I remember I used a lot of black paste to cover the initial painting and a strong yellow for the hay basket. They gave me a diploma that said it’s the work that has the most plasticity. I didn’t know what to make of it at the time, but took it as a compliment. 

3. BEST CONTEXT EVER FOR INSPIRATION WAS

I think seeing Tonitza’s “The Forest Ranger’s Daughter” at the National Museum of Art in Bucharest. I looked at that painting and something clicked in my head and I did a painting when I came back to Cluj that I think also freed me in a way from some barriers I was setting myself before.

4. THE PROJECT YOU LOVED MOST

I don’t know, really. Of course, now I am very excited about the projects I have in mind, currently working on or about to start. However, looking back I certainly have some highlights, like my first work in a public space called “Facing the Human”, or that painting I mentioned earlier, “The Forest Ranger’s Daughter Grew up”. I recently painted Pinocchio and I am very excited to explore the character more and in various media.

5. THE PROJECT OTHERS LOVED MOST

It really depends. A lot of people saw “Facing the Human” and loved it. Others resonate more with more joyful subject matter. My best friend keeps mentioning a portrait of Socrates I painted very many years ago and says it remains his all time favourite.

6. THE BEST THING ABOUT ROMANIAN CREATIVITY IS

It’s fresh and I think, arguably, still very unique. If you look at artworks from the ‘70s and ‘80s they are so different from what we now know was happening in the west - all very unique and very creative. I think that continued later on, after 1989, and I hope some of that ability to create fresh, original works of art still exists in the hands of our generation. 

7. BEST STATEMENT OF ROMANIAN HUMOR

Overcoming hardship through humor. 

8. ADVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL HEADHUNTERS, RELATED TO ROMANIAN CREATIVES

Pick me, please.

9. BEST PLACE IN BUCHAREST

I’m from Transylvania, but Nea Mihai from Amzei Square helped me understand what (an amazing thing) a “merdenea” really is. I also like the coffee from Artichoke, and had a great time hanging with the crew from “Beat bar umanist”.

10. BEST PLACE IN YOUR COUNTRY

I’m tempted to say home, referring to both where I live and at my parent’s place. 

11. MOST DISTURBING CLICHÉ ABOUT ROMANIA, IN THE MEDIA OUTLETS OF THE WORLD IS

In the 2010’s it was probably us being thieves. I’m not sure if that is the case anymore. Recently I’ve heard we’re famous for being very good hackers. 

12. ROMANIA SHOULD BE KNOWN FOR

I think the country is really blessed geographically. I think we should invest more to offer foreign tourists something special to do and see, other than just nature. I don’t only refer to a better developed cultural sector, but also sectors such as sports for example. There are some cities where these sectors are pretty well developed, but a lot of improvement can be done across regions.

13. YOUR VIEWS ON SPIRITUALITY

I’m an atheist. I don’t hold any supernatural beliefs of any kind. I really do believe that if you manage to go through this ride called life spreading love, not hating anyone and you add something to a community you can say you’ve lived a meaningful existence. 

14. YOUR VIEWS ON MONEY

I need them to make art; and eat. Jokes aside, I have many views regarding money, but I think they should always be a means to an end, and not the goal of one’s life. They should be used to create meaning, or solve problems, and improve systems. I think accumulating capital alone can be very detrimental to the quality of an individual’s life. 

15. AN INSPIRATION SOURCE YOU RECOMMEND FOR A YOUNG CREATIVE

As a young artist I’m trying to be aware of what’s going on around me, in the field and generally in the world. That, and theory I read or consume online, is where most of my ideas come from.

BIO

Tudor Costin (b. 1995, Dej) lives and works in Cluj-Napoca. Violence is the central theme that defines his practice, both artistic and theoretical. The artist takes a subversive stance toward dominant political and social narratives, showing a deep concern for the broader issue of social inequality. Aesthetically, he tends to use playful, carnivalesque, or childlike visual cues, creating striking contrasts between the themes he tackles and the visual impact of his works.