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Nafir Boaba
Romanian abstract still life painting by Nafir Boaba Mare et fruits

1985

$1,644
£1,200
€1,406.15
CA$2,272.21
A$2,415.83
CHF 1,306.41
MX$28,737.06
NOK 16,364.63
SEK 14,945.77
DKK 10,504.39

About the Item

Nafir Boaba (Romanian, b.1929) Mare et fruites Oil on canvas Signed, inscribed and dated ‘MARE BOABA NAFIR 85’ (lower right) 18 x 25.5/8 in. (45.7 x 65 cm.) Provenance: From the estate of the artist Nafir Boaba’s Mare et fruites is a vibrant and imaginative still life, executed in oil on canvas in 1985. Signed, inscribed, and dated in the lower right “MARE BOABA NAFIR 85,” the painting measures 18 x 25 5/8 inches (45.7 x 65 cm). The composition depicts fruit arranged on a table, set against a softly layered background of lilac, orange, and the light blues of the sea, where abstracted sailing boats hover on the horizon. Flattened forms and playful abstraction create a rhythmic, mosaic-like surface, allowing colour, shape, and atmosphere to take precedence over literal representation. The work exemplifies Boaba’s ability to transform everyday motifs into poetic and modernist compositions. Born in Reșița, Romania, in 1929, Boaba went into political exile in 1950 and settled in Paris, where he painted continuously until 2006. Over his prolific career, he produced hundreds of paintings, ceramics, and lithographs, exhibiting in approximately sixty exhibitions across Europe and Canada. From 1986 onward, he lived and worked in Saint-Antoine-l’Abbaye in the Isère region of France, where the Nafir gallery and workshop continue to preserve his extensive body of work. Boaba’s style is modern while deeply rooted in naïve and outsider traditions. His use of flattened perspective, bold colour planes, and intuitive abstraction conveys emotion with immediacy and clarity. Mare et fruites, from the artist’s estate, exemplifies his imaginative approach to still life, where colour, form, and atmosphere merge into a lyrical and dynamic composition.
  • Creator:
    Nafir Boaba (1929, Romanian)
  • Creation Year:
    1985
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Width: 25.63 in (65.11 cm)Depth: 2 in (5.08 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    In good condition, not relined. Possible surface dirt. Recently presented in a hand finished gilt composite frame with lime effects and further hand painted wood slip.
  • Gallery Location:
    Petworth, GB
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU540317511482

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