Dana Mesesan Dana is an engineer by trade, turned full-time visual artist. She studied at the Technical University of Cluj-Napoca in her hometown where she received her engineering degree in 1993. As a young child and teenager, she loved to draw, paint, create collages or be involved in any kind of creative activity. Despite her aptitude for mechanical engineering, Dana’s real passion laid in the arts. Her dream was to one day trade the caliper for the paintbrush and become an artist. Born and raised in Romania, Dana immigrated to Canada in 1996. She has carved a successful career for herself as a design engineer focused on architectural lighting fixtures. Her innate creativity had finally found a channel and for over 18 years Dana designed lighting fixtures with the very same passion that fueled her drawings as a young girl. Her career progressed from junior engineer to the managerial role of Chief engineer. Like most individuals keen on adding an artistic element to their work, she began to contemplate whether this path aligned with her passion. It was in 2018, when Dana decided to make an extraordinary choice and become a fulltime artist. Her art is fueled by spontaneity; any object can become a canvas. Combining her love for technology and nature, has allowed Dana to discover that abstract work, brings her the joy and freedom of expression that she’s always enjoyed. Dana is incredibly passionate about recycling and upcycling; building 3D installations with repurposed objects spanning from computer components, recycled plastic to old jewelry. The objects intertwine sometimes randomly, sometimes orderly and let the idea or the story, emerge. The more unconventional the object, the more she enjoys the challenge and the process. Dana hopes that her audience is left with the same spark of curiosity that originally fueled her creative process. Artist statement I am a mechanical engineer by trade, turned fulltime artist in 2018. Even though I’ve started my art career late in life, I feel like a kid in a candy store. I want to try every medium, without limitations. I’m a self-taught artist, with no formal art training, therefore my work is a bit unconventional. My art is fueled by spontaneity, combining love for nature, beauty and technology, also mixing in elements of spirituality. The duality in nature and human mind fascinates me. What’s right and what’s wrong it’s a matter of perspective. I build 3D installations on canvas using recycled and few new materials but also paint bold abstracts. I like to bring balance and calm in chaos and beauty in ugly and tired. Every piece I create it’s a story or an idea. I once heard someone say that you don’t become an artist, you are born that way. In my experience, I’d say that it’s a calling that nags at you until you decide to listen. Everything I do in life, I do it with passion and noticed that people see and feel that. It’s what drove me to succeed as a woman engineer in a man’s world and now I put that passion into my art work. I put all of me in my work and it leaves an impression at least. For the last three years I've been dedicated to my new artist career, learning new skills, improving my artwork and making known my presence as an artist.