DIANA-ELENA CHELARU
Diana was born on April 9, 1979 and raised in Iasi, Romania. The younger of two children, she used to spend holidays with her sister and grandparents in the countryside of Romania. The beauty of nature and life that surrounded her always intrigued her.
It was very early on in her childhood that she developed a passion for art. As a young girl in elementary school, her art teacher urged her to take private classes in painting and drawing. Her work was often placed in exhibitions and contests.
Upon finishing elementary school, she attended the High School for Art where she spent four years perfecting her skills and taking classes in mural painting, art history, volume studies and sculpture, color studies and drawing. She graduated with a Certificate of Art, which qualified her to work on creating and restoring mural paintings. She continued studying art at “George Enescu” University of Fine Arts, Decorative Arts and Design, in Iasi.
It was during this period in her studies that she took part in the restoration of mural paintings at the site of the historical monument of Saint Nicolae-Poputi Church (15th century), The Memorial Houses of Vasile Pogor, Iasi (18th Century), and at the site of the historical monument of the Moldovita Church (16th century). At the same time, she was taking part in art exhibits and performance art projects. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Art in June of 2004 and in 2005 she started her Master Degree in Art History at Queens College, NY.