Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristian Marianciuc.
Cristian, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I have always been a creative person: making things with my hands has been a source of much joy.
I am one of eleven children, and I can see that my resourcefulness and my desire to be creative comes from my parents.
In 2014, after having struggled with depression for quite a while, I decided that I needed to do something about the passing of time, something that would make my days easier to remember, I wanted to make the passing of time a friend, and not something to be afraid of.
So, on the 1st of January of 2015, I started a visual diary of sorts. The plan was to fold a simple origami crane and then decorate it in a way that would describe the kind of day I was having. It was going to be a very personal yet public journal.
I started looking forward to new days so that I can “give life” to new imagined paper birds. From the initial 100 cranes in 100 days, I progressed to 365, and then, as a nod to the Japanese tradition of Senbazuru, I succeeded in folding and decorating 1000 cranes in 1000 consecutive days.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I am a paper artist. I like to experiment with a variety of techniques, from origami to delicate paper cut pieces using a scalpel.
But my heart belongs to the art of origami, and specifically to the traditional model of the crane. It is a somewhat a simple model, but one filled with symbolism and history.
I chose to use the crane as a “blank canvas” for its message of peace and also as a tribute to one of my sisters who passed away almost 15 years ago from leukemia. I found inspiration in the story of Sadako Sasaki, a girl who fell ill with the same disease as a result of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during the second world war.
There is a Japanese tradition that promises a wish or good health and fortune to whoever folds 1000 paper cranes. And these are some of the sources of inspiration I draw from in my work. I also find endless amounts of inspiration in nature and in the little things we tend to overlook in our day to day life. Also, music inspires me tremendously.
With my work, I try to remind myself, and others, to make the most of each day, to do something special – no matter how small, something that would give meaning to each day.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
For me, success is the feeling I get after finishing one of my pieces and then spending some time analyzing it and being happy with what I have created.
One of my principles is to firstly create for myself. To freely express my feelings and ideas, regardless of how my work is perceived and received or how many “likes” it gets on social media.
I believe that every artist should have a very personal and original point of view. Avoid replicating other artists’ work. Be diligent and work hard to find your own voice.
Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I share new creations on a regular basis on my Instagram account (@icarus.mid.air) and under the same moniker on Facebook.
I have also opened an Etsy shop where I sell a selection of my birds, as well as taking commissions for personalized origami cranes https://www.etsy.com/shop/IcarusMidAir
Contact Info:
- Email: marianciuc.cristian@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/icarus.mid.air
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IcarusMidAir
Image Credit:
Cristian Marianciuc
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