S.M.A.K. presents a major solo exhibition dedicated to the work of Ana Lupas, widely considered to be one of the most significant artists of her generation in Eastern Europe. The presentation surveys a vast selection of works, revisited from the later stage of the artist’s career and life, serving as an artistic testament.
The practice of Ana Lupas (b. 1940, Cluj-Napoca, Romania) draws deeply on land-based knowledge, ancestral traditions, and the spiritual legacies that form a shared cultural memory. Active since the 1960s, she combines inherited craft-based techniques with experimental media and materials. By seeking innovation within existing traditions, Lupas’ work engaged in a dialogue with the international avant-garde while evading the ideological and aesthetic constraints of the communist regime. Her oeuvre remains a declaration of resilience and uncompromising dedication toward artistic expression.
The exhibition presents works by Lupas, reflecting on her artistic trajectory, and also features work by her partner, the artist S P A T A R U (Mircea Spătaru, 1937-2011). This is Ana Lupas’ first institutional exhibition in Belgium and is accompanied by the publication of a monograph dedicated to her oeuvre, a co-production between the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam; Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein, Vaduz; and S.M.A.K.