Profile of Vitalie Zubco ,the artist from Moldova

１．History

Born on July 28, 1970.

Born as the eldest son of the Zubco family in the village of Cherlina, Republic of Moldova, a small wine country in Europe. Older brother of two sisters.

Dear grandma, he was taught and influenced a lot by his kind and intelligent grandmother Alexandra.

Do your best barefoot

Although he was free-spirited from an early age, he became very interested in painting.

At the age of 14, he cried and begged his father Georgi for weeks, saying, “I want to go to art school!”

Seeing his earnestness, his father, believing in his son, suddenly agreed one day.

Despite the difficulties, he somehow managed to scrape together the money for tuition and transferred him to an art school in the distant town of Camenca, where he attended school from a dormitory for two years.

While studying art, he took the exam for the prestigious Alexander Plamadeala Art College in Moldova, but failed.

He tried every year without giving up, but failed every year.

Then, in his fourth year, at the age of 18, he finally passed the exam on his fourth try, surprising everyone who had given up thinking it was impossible, and became the news in the village.

The teachers were surprised at the new student who had continued to try for four years without giving up, even though it was a “promise” to use illicit funds to pass the exam, and entered the school at the age of 18.

Vitalie eagerly began to study painting in earnest. He worked hard on his graduation project, which was the culmination of his studies, without sleeping until he was satisfied, and the morning of the graduation ceremony came. And he showed up to the graduation ceremony in the same dirty clothes and barefoot, causing a commotion. This was a rare occurrence since the school was founded, and while some professors said in front of everyone that it was a “tarnishment to the school’s history,” a professor from the university spoke out, and the situation calmed down.

“What a wonderful man! I was moved by his freedom and courage! Do your best at my university barefoot!”

The Great Wall stands in his way

After graduating from Plamadeala, he entered the State University of Arts of Moldova and studied fashion design. Vitalie had a dream.

To study in France, the country that gave birth to such great masters as Monet and Cezanne…

Dreaming of studying in France, he worked hard every day.

Then, a year later, a turning point came.

His grades and hard work were recognized, and he was selected by the Moldova Cultural Agency as a Chinese government scholarship student.

He went to “China” instead of “France” with joy and expectation for the chance he was given alone in his own country.

Then, he went to “China” instead of “France”.

Then, he went to the Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts, one of the most prestigious and renowned universities in China, where he would live among the “ultra-elites” from China and abroad.

Vitalie, who had been popular and full of confidence in Moldova, lost his confidence when faced with a language, culture, and materials he had never seen before, and hit rock bottom for the first time in his life.

He felt his limits with the “Great Wall” standing before him, and seriously considered giving up and returning to Moldova.

However, he felt responsible for the opportunity he had obtained alone in his own country and decided not to go.
He wanted to feel the joy of painting again! With only this desire as his driving force, he continued to move his brush every day.

Then, a year later, another turning point came.

A new young professor saw Vitalie’s work and praised it highly.

The free forms and the power that overflowed from his modern style of ink painting…
His presence, which had been overlooked, suddenly attracted attention.

With his confidence restored, Vitalie broke out of his shell and began to work freely.

While he was a student, he went on a sketching trip to Tibet and studied Eastern and Western art history in depth.
He then combined the various ideas he gained from this with his natural creativity and free-spirited lifestyle, and worked furiously on a variety of works.

At a solo exhibition held while he was a student, his powerful and unique style was recognized, and many of his works were displayed in embassies and hotels.

No One Can Bound Me! I’m free!

He went his way forward following his senses and spent his time on producing his art works. He didn’t care what others were saying.
Even his professor had eventually given up on him.
But he had confidence in himself and stuck to his way of painting…

The graduation work that he created with tenacity and strength of will turned out to be the best work at the University.
Three of his six graduation works were purchased and exhibited at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.

The natural Abstract Paintings

After graduating from university, he moved to Japan. 　　　　

Despite the difficulties of changing the language and environment, he continued to have a passion for art and produced many works. He had no money, no understanding of the Japanese language or Japanese society, and was groping in the dark, but he was engrossed in painting the Japanese landscapes he saw for the first time and his thoughts about life.

He rode around Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture by bicycle for 10 years until he got his driver’s license.

Beyond the tranquil Kanto Plain, he could see Mount Akagi, Mount Asama, and Mount Haruna.

The unique shapes of the Japanese mountains moved him to the point that he was impressed and called them “natural abstract paintings!”, and he produced many abstract paintings in one go, including the “Vitaly’s Mountain” series.

His innovative style of paintings, which mixed European and Asian elements, attracted the “refined sensibility” customers of his Tokyo gallery.

He also studied tulips as a motif in his own way while growing tulips for shipment at the flower farm where he worked part-time.
Eventually, the tulips become “Vitalie’s flowers” and continue to bloom on the canvas in unique shapes.

Days of excitement

At the end of 2019, he moved to Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, about 800 kilometers away from Saitama Prefecture.
He is once again impressed by the scenery of Setouchi, which he sees for the first time.
He run around with cheers, looking at the old townscape, the narrow roads lined with Showa era houses, the fishing villages that spread along the calm sea, and the gently sloping mountains.

“I want to capture all of them in my paintings!!”
Today too, he is moving his brush with excitement.

2. Education

School of arts (Camenca)
Alexander Plamadeala Republic college of Fine Arts Professor Sergiu Fusu
Fashion Design department ,State University of Fine Arts, Republic of Moldova
Professor, Chinese Painting Department,Beijing Central Academy of Fine Arts(as a Chinese government scholarship student) Li yang / Hua qinmin /Tian liming / Liu qin hua

3. 13 Countries in Which His Works Are Held By Individuals And Museums

Czech Republic
England
Romania
Republic of Moldova
China
Singapore
France
South Korea
Russia
Germany
Netherlands
Japan

４．Past Exhibitions

▼1995
・International Artists’ Works Exchange Exhibition (Beijing International Art Museum)
・International Artists’ Works Exchange Exhibition (Beijing Museum of Contemporary Art)
・Worked on fashion design for theater at the Central Academy of Drama
▼1997
・International Artists’ Works Exchange Exhibition (Beijing International Art Museum)
▼1999
・Solo exhibition (Beijing Hilton Hotel Panorama Gallery, supported by the Embassy of Moldova)
・Solo exhibition (Beijing Wayo Five Star Contemporary Art Gallery)
・Solo exhibition (Beijing East Gate Plaza)

▼1999
・Group exhibition (Nagoya)
▼2000
・Solo exhibition “Impression in Fukaya” (Fukaya Station Civic Gallery, Saitama)
▼2001
・Received the Encouragement Award at the 23rd Fukaya City Artists Association Exhibition.
・Various exhibitions (Tokyo Enchodo Gallery)
▼2002

・Exhibition of artists who studied in China. (Yokohama K Art Space, same venue, 2002, 2003)
・Various exhibitions. (Tokyo Enchodo Gallery)
▼2003
・2nd Shenzhen International Ink Painting Biennale. (Shenzhen Art Museum, China)
・Solo exhibition. (Kumagaya Machi no Eki Gallery)
・”7th Healing Space Exhibition – Zubko Vitalie” (Kumagaya Co-op Hospital, Saitama)
・Various exhibitions.
・Solo exhibition. “COLD MOUNTAIN improvisation”
・Solo exhibition. “black ink, water, brush” (Chisinau, Moldova)
▼2004
・Solo exhibition. (Fukaya International Temple)
・26th Fukaya City Artists Association Exhibition, won the Asahi Shimbun Company Award.
▼2005
・”Hot Winds of Asia” Exhibition. (Ginza Chuwa Gallery)
・Solo exhibition. “Ten Years of Ink Painting” (Fukaya Station Civic Gallery, Saitama)
▼2008
・Various Exhibitions (Enchodo Gallery, Tokyo)
▼2011
・Solo Exhibition “Improvisation in Fukaya”
▼2014
・Various Exhibitions (Enchodo Gallery, Tokyo)
▼2015
・Solo Exhibition “Ota’s Graziole” (Atelier Michinosora, Gunma)
▼2017
・Two-person Exhibition (Fukaya Station Civic Gallery, Saitama)
▼2019
・Solo Exhibition “Last Solo Exhibition in Fukaya” (Fukaya Station Civic Gallery, Saitama) ・Received an Honorary Award from the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Japan.
▼2022
・Solo Exhibition “A Small Solo Exhibition at a Seaside Cafe” First solo exhibition in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
▼2023
・Solo Exhibition “Seascape of the Seto Inland Sea” (Fukaya Station Civic Gallery, Saitama)