GHEORGHE ILEA

The series_TPP Zalău_ (since 2013) reflects a deep engagement with industrial heritage, particularly focusing on the remnants of the decommissioned power plant. Ilea explores the intersection of technology, labor, and the human experience within a decaying industrial framework, capturing not only physical forms—such as massive tanks, complex networks of pipes, and towering concrete structures—but also the socio-political context of their operation and decline. His observations highlight the immense human effort behind industrial structures and the often-overlooked craftsmanship involved in their construction. At the same time, his paintings incorporate the natural reclamation of these sites, with vegetation and wildlife becoming integral elements of his compositions.
Ilea’s method emphasizes a manual, almost artisanal process of painting. He portrays the industrial remnants with precision and reverence, imbuing them with a sense of lived history. His works are not driven by contemporary artistic trends but instead by a desire to witness and document. He often integrates anecdotal and historical details into his narratives, reflecting on the lives of the workers, the ingenuity behind the structures, and the stark realities of systemic inefficiencies.
Through his work, Ilea offers a dialogue between the human and non-human, past and present, and functionality and obsolescence. His practice is both a personal response to the industrial and cultural landscapes of his upbringing and a broader commentary on the transient nature of human achievements.

Gheorghe Ilea, born 1958, Bucea, Romania, lives and works in Zalău, Romania. Ilea graduated from the Art and Design University in Cluj, Romania, in 1984.

Previous solo exhibitions include: Gheorghe Ilea, Tajan, Paris (2025); Haina de Nunta, Galeria ARCADE 24, Bistrita (2024); Gheorghe Ilea, Galeria Plan B, Berlin; _Gheorghe Ilea: “Restoration process” 2015 – 2022. After “Exercise _of humility” Tapestry of Ana Lupaș 1960 – 1962, Suprainfinit, Bucharest (2021); The Relocation Story, Plan B, Cluj (2014);Tronicart 1300, The National Museum of Contemporary Art / Dalles Gallery, Bucharest (2012); _10 _Paintings, Plan B, Berlin (2010); PAUSA, Art Museum Cluj (2007); Collage, City Hall Gallery, Lorsch (2004).

Previous group exhibitions include: _După doisprezece ani. Producția artistică din România în 180 de lucrari. _Expoziția Achizițiilor de Opere de Artă, MNAC - National Museum of Contemporary Art, Bucharest (2020);_Mircea _Cantor, Vânătorul de imagini, Musee de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris (2019);_DOUBLE HEADS MATCHES. A _selection of contemporary artworks from four Romanian private collections, New Budapest Gallery (2018); _KM/H. _Utopies automobiles et ferroviaires 1913-2013, Tour 46, Belfort & Musee du Chateau des ducs de Wurtemberg, Montbeliard (2013); Figurative Painting in Romania 1970 – 2010, Romanian Cultural Resolution, Spinnerei, Leipzig, DE / Club Electroputere, Craiova (2010); Ad hoc – Romanian Contemporary Art, Ludwig Museum, Budapest (1997).

Courtesy Galeria Plan B