An Invitation to the “Brediceanu House”: An Evening of Spiritual Cleansing

An invitation to the Brediceanu House in Lugoj on Monday, March 4, 2024, at 6:00 PM, unfolded as an evening of profound spiritual cleansing. I believe everyone present in the hall felt this resonance, for looking around, I saw only imagery and color, punctuated by the quiet cadence of breath… It was the living pulse of Mihai Teodor Olteanu. It was both his painting exhibition and the launch of his monograph, Meeting with the Angel. The event was introduced by Simona Avram and Liliana Kadar, with Henrieta Szabo serving as moderator. The evening also featured a folk recital by singer-songwriter Vasile Gondoci.

Any gathering held within this landmark, which stands as a true bastion of history and culture for Lugoj, infuses light into the souls of those who cross its threshold. It emanates a positive energy—ineffable yet embraced with an open heart.

I took a seat at the back of the hall to observe the entire scene unobstructed. I delight in listening to people, especially when they have a story to tell. I delight in listening to people as they speak of painting. Why? Because this labor, wrought by hands graced with divine inspiration, has touched me profoundly. I have often reflected that the Creator has an immense undertaking with mortals—destined to chart the course of their lives, to bestow upon them from birth the gifts of talent, beauty, grace, and inspiration… How many years does God possess? How many hours fill His day? How many hours comprise His night?

An Encounter with the Angels of Painting

The artist, Mihai Teodor Olteanu, spoke, and every guest hung upon his words. I did the same. The simplicity and humility of this man, his amiable spirit, rooted me to the spot. I was anchored to my chair, sensing I could no longer rise. I turned my head to the right and caught sight of a singular canvas, distinct from the others, though aligned on the exact same wall. Those canvases were charged with florals and shadows, and gradually, an angel emerged. Indeed, there were numerous angels drifting in and out of the compositions, absorbing the artist’s words and feeding upon them.

Amidst this magical fervor within the Brediceanu House, I felt as though I were stepping onto the pathway depicted in the painting, transporting myself directly into his universe. I stood beside a modest fence, awaiting the opening of the gate. There were only the house and I, and we were absolute. I left the vernissage behind and, quite suddenly, beheld my parents, my grandmother, the neighbor from beyond the garden, the dog dozing beneath the plum tree. I sensed the breath of spring, sweet violets exhaling their fragrance, while two ajar windows and the homestead’s gate felt like a direct summons. Good heavens, they were truly waiting for me!

I entered the dwelling. Every object remained in its rightful place, yet what a wonder to discover dozens of vessels overflowing with blooms! All the colors of the earth and the firmament resided there. I stepped outside, trod upon the verdant grass of my childhood, and anointed myself with the fragrance of love—the essence of my parents. I cast myself into the untamed meadow and, utilizing the petals of lilies-of-the-valley, composed a verse. Nothing could be more transcendent within such a setting.

I was so youthful, witnessing my own revolution knocking at the doors of my neighbors, heralding the dawn of the liberty within us. Passing tenderly along the main street, her visage remained obscured—she had been bestowed with so many blossoms that her entire being was mantled in shadows. Light and shadow everywhere: concealed within icons, lurking behind window draperies, anchored in the earth to sprout anew, adhering to the canvas of years drying in the brilliant sunlight. Yet, what myriad wonders fail to blossom from the heart of an angel?

The Return from the Painting

I awoke to the strains of a guitar, the smile of Mihai Teodor Olteanu mirroring itself within my tear. Such an exquisite, poignant melancholy echoed within my soul! My friends, dear friends! It was a poignant departure from the canvas of my past.

I wanted to return. To remain there forever. To bite into the soil tilled by my grandmother, to hold to my chest the people from the street lined with mulberry trees, to kiss the snowflakes that did not melt in my palm, but were reincarnated. I was between two worlds, suspended from the chandelier of a “time-bridge” that connected heaven and earth.

Yes, this man before me was swaying upon a bridge. A bridge of worlds, of ancestral ties. Each bore a name.

I hoisted the banner of lucidity right where I stood. Then I set off, straight toward the artist. Without words, I thanked him for my return to the truly pure world. It was just me, the artist, and the bridge swaying beneath the weight of our silence. We were the focal point where all human liberations came to a rest.

I was writing and singing for this evening that had become my friend. And I do not have many friends of this kind. A confluence of emotion, innovation, delicacy, refinement, curiosity, clarity—all of it resonated within me to the very marrow of my bones.

In one instant, I was floating. In the next, I was taking root and feeling myself remain eternal to my emotions. I felt the power of the Angels’ devotion, the power of Divinity.

I do not know what others see in painting, whether connoisseurs or not, yet I can say that I experienced this exhibition. To me, it was like a secular altar, an exhortation to truly live, an embrace. I felt and saw how the new light within humanity touches the wings of angels. And I knew that, before me, an Angel was painting under the name of Mihai Teodor Olteanu.