Born: 1 June 1983, Bucharest, Romania

Summary

Adina was named after an artist in her grandparents’ hometown of Buzău and another architect who enjoyed dressing unconventionally. She grew up around her mother’s creative personality and passionate scientific pursuits, both of which influenced her early art.

Known throughout her school years for always carrying a drawing pad and pencils, Adina saw drawings as means to record and communicate things of interest and connect with others. She would teach her peers how to do the same, often encouraging them to express their hidden wishes or suppressed viewpoints.

In 11th grade, though her high-school diploma was by then focused on literature and foreign languages, Adina decided to study visual art at university level. While she had the full support of her family and her mentor in this decision, what followed was a highly conflictual period, as the institution of higher learning was rife with misogyny and sexual harassment that would later come to light in the press. Dropping out, Adina moved to New Zealand for the next few years, where she engaged with a different student culture and gained some necessary skills as a working artist.

Since then, Adina’s artistic career has had numerous ups and downs, largely due to the fact that she has a very long list of interests and has trouble finishing projects. Nevertheless, she continues to find opportunities for improving her skills and learning new ones, and she will always love creating art with all her heart.

In 2025, Adina founded Editura Zburătorii, an independent publishing house aiming to print works on redefining human relationships with nature, nature-based spirituality, and art from a feminist perspective. The title Zburător is a “Dreamer” from Romanian folklore, popularised by the Synchronist literary movement in the 1920s.

Education

1990-1992. Ballet (Bucharest, Romania)

1994-1998. Flute, piano, choir, orchestra. ‘Iosif Sava’ Art School (Bucharest, Romania)

1997. Traditional Japanese arts. International exchange program with Lions Clubs (Tokyo; Nara; Kyoto; Izu Peninsula, Japan)

2000. Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English. British Council (Bucharest, Romania)

2002-2003. Drawing, etching, art history. ‘Nicolae Grigorescu’ National University of Arts (Bucharest, Romania)

2004-2006. Graphic design, studio art practices, traditional Maori arts. Auckland University of Technology (Auckland, New Zealand)

2008. Ceramics internship. Wagner Fine Arts & Fairytales (Bucharest, Romania)

2010-2014. Landscape design. University of Agronomic Science and Veterinary Medicine (Bucharest, Romania)

2023. Library and information sciences. Central University Library of Bucharest (Bucharest, Romania)

2024. Biophilic design. Cresc Studio @ Nod Makerspace (Bucharest, Romania)