Anca came to Cadmium because her painting practice had stalled. She had already exhibited in London and sold work, but something felt unresolved. The paintings looked complete, yet they did not feel fully hers. They leaned toward decoration and illustration, and she found herself repeating familiar visual habits rather than pushing into something more personal.

Through our Creative Mentorship for Artists, we began questioning the foundations of the work together. She started challenging her own aesthetic instincts and digging deeper into the ideas beneath the surface. Gradually, the work shifted away from surface-led decisions and toward something more grounded in research and lived experience.

A turning point came when she began engaging seriously with her Romanian upbringing. That exploration reshaped the direction of her practice. The work stopped feeling inherited and started feeling genuinely her own.

Anca now approaches her painting with greater clarity and a stronger sense of authorship.