Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries

Teo Cursaru 

 
BA [Hons] Art

Teo Cursaru is a Romanian-born artist based in Navan, Co. Meath. Raised in Romania for the first 8 years of her life, she immigrated to Ireland in 2009 but has always kept a tether between her identity and the city she grew up in, Bucharest. Her work is often based on how integrated she feels within Irish society, as well as the strained relationship she has with her country of origin. Her key inspiration comes in the form of works by Romanian poets, authors and folklore. She also documents and recreates traditional Romanian rituals to reflect on her experience with cultural dislocation. Cursaru has exhibited in Pallas Projects Studios for IADT In the Making - Navel.

youth, aging, life, death.

My piece delves into Bucharest’s urban landscape, focusing on the city’s deteriorating architectural heritage. Inspired by the timeless tale “Youth Without Aging and Life Without Death” (1862) by Romanian author Petre Ispirescu, I find myself drawn to the story’s examination of longing and disillusionment. The story of a prince returning home after centuries of absence resonates deeply with me, as he struggles to reconcile the passing of time and the significant change and transformations that have occurred during the span of his absence. My film encapsulates the tumultuous emotions I confront as an immigrant returning to my homeland, especially in the aftermath of personal loss experienced abroad. It serves as a reflection on the complexities of identity and belonging, as I grapple with the profound transformation of a place I once called home. (Music by tim.kahn).