Paul Robas

Paul Robas (b. 1989, Romania) is a Vienna-based Romanian artist whose evocative and multi-layered portraits delve into the ephemeral nature of memory and the human experience. Through experimentation and a particular attention posed on the surface of the canvas, Robas’ practice explores the tension between the real and the imagined, crafting works that blur the boundaries between these states.
Central to his approach is a fascination with the reproduced image. Robas begins with digitally manipulated and found photographs of unknown individuals, transforming them through a meticulous process of manual and automated techniques. Blurred layers of paint and textured surfaces create dreamlike portraits that evoke the sensation of fading or distorted memories. In his work, the reproduced image becomes a site of transformation, where imperfections and manipulation are integral to the formation of meaning.
These enigmatic images do not present clear narratives but instead offer fleeting impressions that mirror the elusive and shifting nature of recollection. Robas’ work invites viewers to confront the ambiguity of human expression, questioning the desire to find clarity in the inscrutable. By challenging traditional notions of portraiture through a unique painterly lexicon, he creates uncanny explorations of the mystery embedded in the human image.
Paul Robas (b. 1989) is currently living and working in Vienna. He obtained a BFA from the Art and Design University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania (2011) and an MFA from the Academy of fine Arts Vienna, Austria (2018).
Recent solo exhibitions include: ‘No time to explain’, Galleria Solito, Naples, IT (2023); ‘Making Truth’, Vienna Art Week, Traktorfabrik, Vienna, Austria (2019) and ‘Between a rock and a hard place’, Projektraum am Schlingermarkt, Vienna, Austria (2019). Selected group exhibitions include: ‘Le jardin des délices’, Galerie Claire Gastaud, Paris, FR (2024); ‘A Small Land of Watery Light’, Gallery Vacancy, Shanghai, CH (2024); ‘Gentle Again’, The Shophouse, Hong Kong (2024); ‘A Gentle Cruise’, JVDW Gallery, Düsseldorf, DE (2024); ‘Heady Days’, Elektrohalle Rohmberg, Salzburg, Germany (2021); ‘Pending Objects 2’, NewNow Artspace, Frankfurt, Germany (2021) and ‘Pending Objects’, Funfzigzwanzig, Salzburg, Germany (2021).