Paul Neagu was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1938. He studied at the Institute 'N Grigorescu' (1959-65). Before taking up his painting course he worked as a technical draughtsman and constructor of dams on the Danube. This engineering background has fed into both his drawing and sculptures, philosophically and practically. In 1969 he came to Britain at the invitation…
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Paul Neagu was born in Bucharest, Romania, in 1938. He studied at the Institute 'N Grigorescu' (1959-65). Before taking up his painting course he worked as a technical draughtsman and constructor of dams on the Danube. This engineering background has fed into both his drawing and sculptures, philosophically and practically.
In 1969 he came to Britain at the invitation of Richard Demarco, and has since lived and worked in London, lecturing in fine art at Hornsey College of Art and Chelsea School of Art, in addition to pursuing his own career as an artist. He continued to teach throughout his career, and among his students were many of the younger generation of British sculptors who have made international reputations. Neagu gained British citizenship in 1977, and in 1991-92 acquired Romanian citizenship, so that he is now effectively Anglo-Romanian.
Paul Neagu's sculpture conveys the notion of movement through abstract form. His drawings, paintings, performances and sculpture are closely linked, in that all explore ideas that cannot be made literal in any concrete sense. They invite a participation which is demanding of the viewer's concentration, and need time as well as space to work their way into our consciousness. Star forms and geometric shapes, often made in stainless steel, with the surface worked to textures that capture and refract light, are typical of Neagu's genre.
Neagu has exhibited his work worldwide and has also received numerous awards, including the Blue Ribbon Medal (Kongo Hosyo) from the Japanese Government in 1996 and a Leverhulme Trust research award in 1997.
Triple Starhead 1987-93, which was displayed at Goodwood from 1994 to 1998, was exhibited outside the British High Commission in Ottawa, Canada, before returning to Milton Keynes in 2001.
