_PNG.png){kind=small}
Surreal Paintings
Eugen Serbanescu
ROMANIA
_p.png)
“I wander through emotion until color gives me direction.”
Painting, for Eugen Serbanescu, is the art of letting the soul wander without a map—each brushstroke a step toward discovering joy in the unknown. His surreal landscapes invite viewers into an imaginative world where the boundaries of reality dissolve, and creative exploration reigns supreme.
MATRIX | Ink
$350
27 X 19
That's MATRIX.
It talks about connection, belonging, but also about the fragility of the boundaries between oneself and others. About the tension between the desire to belong and the fear of getting lost in the crowd. A diagram of the collective subconscious — a visual matrix between the human and the archetypal, between chaos and order.
A reflection on the multitude. Because we are never just one—but always part of a whole, interdependent, and always on the move.
At the heart of Serbanescu's surreal paintings lie a deep love for play, experimentation, and provocation. He enjoys drawing people into what he calls his "Madhouse All-Inclusive," a conceptual labyrinth of human existence anchored by a central theme: the blurring of reality and dreams, the fine line between imagination and madness.
HoloGra(nd)Ma | Ink
$350
27 X 19
Memories are built visually — images imprinted on the retina and later stored, sometimes in distorted forms, in our emotional memory. They can be disparate scenes, accidentally layered or not. Or perhaps the same scene, returning now and then, faded, stratified, adding new details over the old ones, like an inner palimpsest.
I called it HoloGra(nd)Ma’ precisely because it’s a blend of all these things. It is written with the ND struck through, to evoke the idea of fading memory.
The dualism embedded in the title “Madhouse All-Inclusive” is the very core of his artistic philosophy. On one side, the term "madhouse" serves as a figurative symbol of chaos, complexity, and inner turmoil. On the other, "all-inclusive" evokes ideas of pleasure, comfort, and the promise of a space where everything is provided. This intentionally contradictory pairing reflects a constant inner tension—between disorder and harmony, logic and imagination.
“I build dream-worlds where contradiction finally feels like home.”
He clarifies that his “madhouse” should not be confused with an insane asylum in the traditional sense. It’s not an exploration of mental illness. Rather, it is an artistic reflection on the beauty and terror of a world that refuses to conform to logic and order. In this vision, reality and imagination are so deeply intertwined that they become indistinguishable.
Samba Dancers | Watercolor
$350
29 X 22
It all started from a simple moment: "How would you draw her?" — an innocent photo of a friend's daughter, in a ballerina costume, opened the door to a larger, more playful world. Because, although the inspiration came from the grace of childhood, my vision went in another direction, that of exuberant dance, tropical rhythm and the magic of costumes.
This is how "Samba Dancers" was born, an explosion of color, feathers, movement and emotion.
For me, it's about transformation. The wolf is not the villain here. Maybe he's tired of the same old story. He can compose something for Little Red Riding Hood, a ballad that he will hear wherever he is. He is vulnerable, regrets it or maybe he is just trying to tell his own story. I like to leave the message in a fishtail so that the viewer can decide: is this a repentance, a reinterpretation or something else entirely?
What kind of song do you think it is?
A Ballad for the Little Red Riding Hood | Graphite
$250
12 X 12
Within this context, "all-inclusive" takes on a new meaning. For Serbanescu, it represents unrestricted access to the entire universe of human emotion, thought, and perspective. His work does not exclude or limit—his surreal art painting embraces the full spectrum of existence, inviting every feeling, fantasy, and fear into the fold.
“Each painting is a collision of memory, myth, and mood—my way of turning disorder into something that breathes, questions, transforms, and endures.”
“I never wanted to paint just pretty pictures. From the very beginning, I knew this was about something deeper—a kind of personal time travel into places that don’t exist but somehow feel familiar. My work is messy, wild, emotional, and full of contradictions, just like life. I see my art as a giant invitation to step inside a world that refuses to choose between dream and reality. There’s madness in it, sure—but not the kind that needs fixing. It’s the kind that makes you feel everything all at once. I didn’t study art because I didn’t want to be told how to see. What I create comes from experience, from instinct, from a refusal to stay quiet in a world that constantly tries to shrink imagination.”
His artistic influences are broad and richly layered, ranging from figurative surrealism and symbolism to postmodernism. These elements converge to expose the stories we tell ourselves, the memories we cling to, the fantasies that nourish us, and the fears that pursue us. It is within this collision of internal narratives that his surreal landscapes come to life.
Peace Negotiations | Colorpencil
$250
12 X 16
I've always been attracted to zebra – not just as an animal, but as a symbol. For me, it represents the duality of life: black and white, good and bad, with no gray between them. A reflection of how I often see the world.
Chessboards are the same: strategies and choices, deliberate and decisive moves, the constant chaos between two sides, the decisions that shape outcomes, all while navigating the complexities of a possible compromise.
Zebra and man do not need to talk, presence is enough.
Serbanescu populates these dreamlike scenes with characters, environments, and visual elements that defy the rules of the ordinary world. This choice is deliberate. By challenging the viewer's perception of what is real and what is imagined, he poses a fundamental question: where does reality end and where does fiction begin?
Men in Black | Colorpencil
$250
16 X 12
"Men in Black" is a foray into the world of conspiracy theories, where the boundaries between myth and reality become blurred. It's a subject that fascinates us all. It is about the desire to decipher the unknown and the fascinating attraction of what we cannot fully comprehend.
Because the truth is never in sight, take it as a challenge to look beyond what we are shown and ask ourselves if the figures behind these symbols are guardians, manipulators, or something beyond our comprehension.
His work becomes a journey through a surreal asylum—each room offering a new lens on the human condition. These fragmented yet interconnected perspectives ask the viewer to consider the complexity of their own internal world. In doing so, he creates not just visual art but a psychological and emotional experience.
What if this is our future? A world overtaken by industrial decay, abandoned machinery and a desolate, smog-filled landscape. I think of this piece as a conversation starter. What are we leaving behind for the next generation? Will they inherit beauty—or ruin?
Age of Pollution | Colorpencil
$250
12 X 16
“I create to disturb comfort and to comfort disturbance equally.”
The Butterfly Effect | Watercolor
$350
27 X 19
Sometimes I draw without knowing what’s next. I put a small shape on the paper — like this butterfly —
and suddenly everything starts growing around it. Lines, colors, forms are born without a clear plan. The
butterfly seems caught in a world of broken mirrors. It’s everywhere, fragmented, multiplied. Every corner
of the page reflects another version of it. A whole world emerges from it, one that moves to a strange,
unique rhythm. It has no order, but it’s alive. To me, that’s the closest thing.
“Madhouse All-Inclusive” is more than a body of work; it is a visual manifesto of landscape surrealism. It champions the freedom to explore the unconventional and urges viewers to embrace chaos as an essential part of existence. Serbanescu uses the canvas not only to tell stories but also to advocate for the acceptance of life’s unpredictable nature.
Which one do you see as the cubist cat?
Is it the one gazing, the art lover, or the one reflected? Perception shapes our reality—what we see, what
we believe, and how we interpret the world around us. In "A Cubist Cat", the reflection is not a perfect
mirror but a transformation, breaking the familiar into fragments of color and form.
Like the cat, we stand before art, before life, seeing versions of ourselves and the world, sometimes clear,
sometimes abstract. And in that duality, story unfolds
A Cubist Cat | Watercolor
$350
27 X 19
Through this immersive world of surreal art painting, Eugen Serbanescu extends an invitation: step into the madhouse, explore its corridors, and lose yourself in its stories. Because, in the end, everyone is part of this all-encompassing madness called life—searching for meaning, holding onto memories, and walking the delicate line between dreams and reality.
Self-portrait | Ink
$320
27 X 19
I rarely draw portraits. Even more rarely of people I know. Because the way I draw — especially in ink, with fast, chaotic lines, somewhere between street art and classic — is all about the moment. About the feeling. I’m not after likeness, I want to catch the energy.
Same with the stains — they’re deliberate, like in many of my ink drawings. I don’t want everything to be perfect. Because people aren’t.
This style doesn’t always flatter. Sometimes it distorts, fragments. And people get upset.
“Step inside this world and leave your expectations behind you.”
Not a solo artist yet? Subscribe to our solo exhibitions at TERAVARNA and share your art with the world!