About

Valentina Brostean was born in Novi Sad, Serbia in 1983. After spending over a decade in Turin (Italy) she is now residing in Barcelona (Spain). Brostean holds a BFA in Graphic Design and an MFA in Illustration from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Novi Sad.

Brostean is a multi-disciplinary visual artist with over 15 years of experience in the creative world- working both with traditional and digital mediums.

Her bold, colorful style, often described as “new contemporary figuration” is specific for its use of courageous, unexpected compositions, a bold color palette

and unique, striking imagery. In her personal work, she has been strongly inspired by all the aspects of human nature – exploring subconscious, emotional states, dreams, real and the surreal. Brostean is a master in deconstructing the obvious reality in order to reconstruct it again. She has developed her own, very personal technique and style – the result of a perpetual journey, a constant search for identity and complexity of meanings.

When it comes to the field of applied art, Brostean has specialized in editorial and fashion illustration, applying her well-known playful mixed media technique mostly in magazine and book illustrations, experimenting often with collage, using both traditional and digital tools as well. Brostean has always aimed towards powerful and original solutions for creative clients who don’t shy away from pushing boundaries, by exploring bold aesthetics and surprising outputs across all platforms. Her widely recognizable style has established her as one of the emerging contemporary artists appreciated by selected international clients such as Armani Exchange, The Washington Post, Il Corriere Della Sera, Bicycle USA and Kabinet Brewery, amongst many others.

Her work has been published in numerous books, magazines and publications around the world. Since 2006 she has exhibited her work in a variety of exhibitions, ranging from personal to group shows throughout Europe (Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain, and the UK) as well as in the Middle East and the United States.

Represented by ILLOZOO Creative Agency.
Write me at pisivalentini@gmail.com

SELECTED CLIENTS:

Washington Post | USA
Corriere Della Sera | IT
Armani Exchange | Milano, IT
Bicycle | USA
Kabinet brewery | RS
Curve agency | Turin, IT
ILLO.TV | Turin, IT
Tachyon publications | USA
OSCE – OEBS | RS
Telekom | RS

BOOKS:

Symposion 73 | Trauma & Nostalgia, Hungary 2020
Crunch ED Associazione Culturale | 50 morsi alla luna, IT 2019
Power and Influence of Illustration | Bloomingdales, USA 2019
Fantastic Illustration | DESIGNERBOOKS, China 2016
Mix and Match – Exploring contemporary collage | SANDU publications, China 2017
Collage – Make the Impossible Possible | Send Points publishing, China 2018
Walk on the wild side | Drago publishing, Rome, IT 2014

ONLINE FEATURES:

Exhibition-ism | SF, USA
Digital Arts | UK
Beautiful Bizarre magazine | AUS
DEPTHCORE artist collective | USA
Juxtapoz | USA
Creative review | UK
Get inspired | NL
Sweet Station | NYC, USA
Upperplayground | USA
Robot mafia | DE
Date-Hub | IT
ELLE | RS
Gloria | RS

AWARDS:

2018 | First award for the product design – illustration on national design competition organized by leading cookware brand “Metalac”, Serbia

2014 | First award for the illustrated graphic novel “Why ladybirds eat people” at BookILL Fest – International book fair Novi Sad, Serbia

2009 | First award – Golden plaque for the illustrated graphic novel “Why ladybirds eat people” at biennial of illustration Golden Pen of Belgrade, Serbia

2007 | First prize – Golden plaque for theater poster project on 12. international biennial of theater poster “Sterijino Pozorje”, Serbia

2006 | “Academy year award” – for the best-graduated student on Academy of Arts Novi Sad – department for graphic design and illustration, Serbia

SOLO EXHIBITIONS:

2019 | Krokodil centar – Engaging words, Belgrade, Serbia (Jednom smo bili mi – Digital collage series)
2019 | Kulturni centar LAB, Novi Sad, Serbia (U okeanu postojanja – Digital collage series)
2019 | Galerija Stepeniste, Sumatovacka, Serbia (U okeanu postojanja – Digital collage series)
2018 | Zivi Atelje DK, Zagreb, Croatia (Drawings series “Only us, humans”)
2013 | Amantes cultural center, Torino, Italy (Mixed media series “Samsara”)
2012 | Dorothy Circus Gallery, Rome, Italy (Paintings series “Last drop of innocence”)
2012 | Galo Art Gallery, Torino, Italy (Paintings series “NEVERLAND”)
2011 | Pagus Gallery, Philadelphia, USA (Paintings series “NEVERLAND”)
2011 | Fache Arts Gallery, Miami, USA (Paintings & drawings series, selection)
2010 | Belgrade cultural center, Serbia (Mixed media illustrations “Why ladybirds eat people?”)
2009 | Fache Arts Gallery, Miami, USA (Paintings & drawings series “Stories from a Neverland”)

GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTION):

2019 | Foreshadows – Prefigurazioni (K SPACES, Turin, IT)
2018 | THIS COVER – Tutto è possibile (“Torino Graphic Days” curated by Curve creative agency, Turin, IT)
2018 | Not safe for woman (“To graphic days” curated by ILLO – Tv creative agency, Turin, IT)
2018 | Black & White Nights (K Spaces gallery, Torino, IT)
2018 | Libri d’artista (K Spaces gallery, Torino, IT)
2017 | A night at the movies – by Tim Burton (Penumbra Gallery, Lisbon, PT)
2016 | Corpus Dei (Nero Gallery, Roma, IT)
2016 | Cube show (Baker + Hasseldenz gallery, CA, USA)
2016 | Svelata – erotic extracts from Italian scene (Gallery Cell 63, Berlin, DE)
2015 | Coexist or die show (By Arte in Barriera foundation, Turin – Rome, IT)
2015 | Storybook show (Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, USA)
2015 | Zimmerman show (Gristle Art Gallery, NY, USA)
2015 | Idiot Box (Gallery 1988, Los Angeles, USA)
2015 | Comedians (Gallery 1988, Los Angeles, USA)
2014 | Art Auction (KOLEKTIV1, NY, USA)
2014 | MAD in Italy (Enim Artist gallery, Milan, IT)
2014 | Hidden Kingdoms show (Dream factory gallery, Frankfurt, DE)
2014 | Il posto delle favole (Edizione)
2014 | Colletiva a Rocca Sinibalda (Museo A. Miniucchi, IT)
2013 | Lacrima Aquarium (Aquario Romano MUSEUM and Dorothy Circus Gallery, Rome, IT)
2013 | Wanderlust (Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, USA)
2013 | 6 impossible things before breakfast (Dream factory gallery, Frankfurt, DE)
2013 | Abu Dhabi Art Hub (Italian masters Exhibition, Abu Dhabi, UAE)
2013 | Stroke art fair (Pretty Portal Gallery, Munich, DE)
2013 | Bears in the honor of spring (UK Parobord, Belgrade, RS)
2013 | Painted sound (Flower-pepper gallery, Pasadena, USA)
2012 | Urban Expo (Pretty Portal Gallery, Dusseldorf, DE)
2012 | Pop surrealism – Stay foolish (Museo Casa del Conte Verde & Dorothy Circus Gallery, Rivoli, IT)
2012 | Runaway circus (Auguste Clown Gallery, Melbourne, AU)
2012 | SWAB – Art fair (With Dorothy Circus Gallery, Barcelona, SP)
2012 | Game over (The Nova Belgica Art Gallery, Saint Truden, BE)
2012 | Illustrated (Pretty Portal Gallery, Dusseldorf, DE)
2011 | Summer show (Hive Gallery, LA, USA)
2011 | Alterazioni Visive (Arcidosso, IT)
2009 | Golden Pen of Belgrade (International Triennial of Illustration, Belgrade, RS)
2009 | Cut & Paste (Stockholm, SW)