Ioan Maric

Ioan Măric (born 1945) is a Romanian painter. He is an exponent of naïve art.

Art

Măric is a painter in the naive style, of which he is one of Romania's leading exponents. due to a perceived similarity to the work of Marc Chagall. As an adolescent, he became an agricultural mechanic, and in 1967 became an employee at a wood factory, where he would continue to work until 1999.

Artistic career

During the Ceaușescu period, Măric was able to work without impediment. At the same time, Măric continued to sell his paintings in the national circuit of folk fairs, held at museums and municipal festivals, as well as Romanian tourist festivals.

Măric published a pictorial book entitled Lada de Zestre (Dowry Chest) in 2012, which was launched at St Mary's Fair festival at the Village Museum in Bucharest. It was a collection of photos and accompanying texts displaying members of his family, celebrities from across Romania and Europe, and tableaus featuring his work. His experience at the university, and the conflict with other naive artists arising from it, was the subject of a 2018 documentary entitled Comoara Naivă ("Naive Treasure") directed by Moscu Copel. According to Copel, Măric‘s motivation to study was his view that talent and quality are not appreciated unless recognised with a degree. Copel states that Măric told him: “I don't want to die a fool. Write on the cross that a teacher has died!"

In 2018, there was an exhibition of Măric‘s work at the New Gallery of the Romanian Institute of Culture and Humanistic research in Venice.