LUMINIȚA FIERRO

WIN Gallery: Coming from a world of logic and IT systems, what sparked your interest in art? How did the act of contemplating a work of art turn into a desire to preserve it and, over time, build a collection?

Luminița Fierro: My interest in art has its roots in my childhood, in a moment that I cherish deeply and remember with remarkable clarity. At nursery, faced with a blank sheet of paper, I discovered the possibility of transforming emotion into a visible mark. That first encounter with the act of drawing served as a form of freedom and satisfied curiosity, recognised before it could be expressed. Later, during my primary school years, separate lessons in drawing and painting reinforced this inner inclination of mine. Under the guidance of a teacher who knew how to delicately combine encouragement with the rigour of practical exercise, my visual perception began to take shape. It was the first stage in which I felt that visual language is not merely about representation but becomes a way of understanding the world.

As an adult, drawing has remained a recurring practice, an emotional space of retreat but also a protective one. The field in which I currently work – let’s call it, broadly speaking, IT – entered my life later on, with the years spent learning at university and then with the profession I have been pursuing for 32 years. Although it is a realm of logic, systems and precision, it has never ‘overridden’ the need for visual expression. On the contrary, the two realms have coexisted, each retaining its own sense of order and sensibility.

A decisive role in transforming this affinity into a ‘need’ to collect was played by my closeness to the Neamțu family of artists, whom I had the privilege of getting to know in detail. My friendship with Lis, Cela and Costin not only gave me access to the intimacy of their studios, but also a deeper understanding of the creative process. From this close connection sprang the desire to preserve their works and to build, step by step, a collection that reflects not only aesthetic admiration, but also the human and spiritual bond that has formed over time.

WIN Gallery: How do you see the evolution of classical art in an era shaped by AI and digital techniques?

Luminița Fierro: I believe that classical art is not threatened by technology, but continues to engage in dialogue with it, just as it has happened in every era in which new means of expression have emerged. The history of art is, after all, the history of the tools through which humankind has conveyed its emotions, messages and vision: from natural pigments and frescoes, to engraving, photography, video and, today, artificial intelligence.

In the digital age, technology becomes an additional artistic language, a realm in which one can express oneself in new ways without losing one’s authenticity – quite the contrary! I believe artists will continue to explore these tools, to assimilate them and transform them into forms of expression capable of surprising, challenging and moving us in equal measure. Classical art remains a foundation, whilst digital techniques can be understood as an extension of our constant desire to create, to imagine and to give form.

WIN Gallery: Which artists have you collected so far, and what invisible thread links them, beyond differences in generation, technique or artistic language?

Luminița Fierro: My collection features, first and foremost, works by the Neamțu family. Most of them are by Lisandru, but I also have a few works by Cele and Costin. It is a family of artists for whom I have the deepest admiration. The collection also includes two works by Dorin Nebunu, a young artist from the Republic of Moldova, whom I discovered as a fresh voice, with a direct visual energy and an expressive authenticity that immediately drew me in.

The invisible thread that unites them, beyond differences in generation, technique or artistic language, is the sincerity of the emotion they convey. In their works there is a recognisable inner vibration, a clarity of gesture and a power of expression that speak directly to the viewer. These are works that do not remain mere decorative elements, but continue to foster connection and invite return visits.

For me, this is the criterion that unites what I choose to collect: authenticity and a work’s ability to remain ‘alive’ over time.

WIN Gallery: As a thought experiment, if art had never existed in your life, what other form of expression would your instinct as a collector have turned to?

Luminița Fierro: If art had never existed in my life, I think my instinct as a collector would have turned to nature — to plants, flowers, trees, to those living forms that transform the energy of a space. I have always been drawn to nature’s organic architecture, its ever-changing colours, and the silent rhythm through which a plant can breathe life into one’s own existence. I would probably have built up a botanical collection with the same care and passion with which I have built up my art collection: through discovery, observation and a concern for the harmony of the whole. For me, nature has the power to move me just as much as a work of art; it is another form of beauty, perhaps quieter, but just as capable of bringing tranquillity, clarity and fulfilment.