The 'Women crafting the future' exhibition, which has a unique concept dedicated to creativity and feminine power and aims to celebrate the talent and craftsmanship of women, was opened on Tuesday evening at the National Museum of Romanian Literature (MNLR).

The exhibition features collections of paintings, jewelry, decorations and garments created by the women artists who are members of the Handmade Art Academy of Bucharest. These works capture the woman and the idea of femininity in different forms, alongside a series of panels showcasing the ambassadors of the #WeAreHalf campaign, a social movement promoting gender equality and equal opportunities between women and men.

'This time, we wanted to bring to the public's attention this original concept called 'Women craft in the future' because Women's Month is approaching, March is coming, and we are in a period where there is a lot of talk about gender equality and equal opportunities for women and men. Also, with me in this academy there are over 100 members, most of whom are women, so I wanted to dedicate this exhibition to the ladies of the academy, to dedicate this moment to them and bring into focus both the works created for women and the women artists behind these works,' said Mioara Iofciulescu, the organiser of the event and the founding president of the Handmade Art Academy of Bucharest.

She mentioned that the exhibition features over 200 exhibits.

Ioan Cristescu, the director of MNLR, said that the Handmade Art Academy had become in recent years 'a regular presence at the Museum of Romanian Literature.'

'I have encountered here a community of creators who aim to beautify and bring joy into a life that is quite dynamic and, at the same time, quite aggressive. I am happy that the Handmade Art Academy holds these events at MNLR, and I am glad that I can support this, and I am also pleased with this year's theme (...) and the messages in this exhibition. These are impactful messages, necessary messages, and at the same time, they are messages that, in a Romanian society that is still quite conservative, bring what we are missing the most - a sense of normalcy, if we even know what that normalcy means. More than that, nothing in this exhibition is artificial,' said Cristescu.

Mihaela Tudor, founding member of the Solidarity and Equality Association, reminded the public that on February 18, at 4:00 PM, there will be a debate about 'What cultural education means, what heritage means, what we leave to future generations, what values we pass on to our children,' along with academy members Mircia Dumitrescu, Georgeta Filitti, and the president of the Romanian Writers' Union, Varujan Vosganian, experts, and professionals in this field who will share beautiful stories.

Valentina Butoi presents to the audience the 'Women Around the World' series, which brings together portraits of ten women from around the globe, while Carmen Florian showcases a 'Floral Decoration,' a collection of flower paintings in oil on canvas, enhanced with gold leaf.

Ramona Pintea highlights the 'Urban Queen' series, a collection that celebrates the modern woman, while Iulia Sasarman reflects joy and playful spirit through the 'Life as a Carnival' series.

The refined jewelry created by Anisoara Musat and Victoria Semen, made of fine beads and semi-precious stones, or those made of natural leather by Adriana Campean, showcase the complex skills and innovative concepts characteristic of contemporary Romanian art.

The decorations made by Mioara Iofciulescu from epoxy resin, Feudalia Peter from semi-precious stones, and Magda Stan from millimetre sand beads capture the elegance of handcrafted artworks and highlight the ability of Romanian women artists to combine tradition with modernity.

At the end of the evening, the 'Artistry by Mioara Iofciulescu' fashion collections were launched during a fashion show that spotlighted elegant daywear outfits for office and business events, as well as spectacular evening gowns.

The exhibition can be visited from February 11 to February 22. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Petronius Craiu, EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)