Ortansa Moraru

Ortansa Moraru was born in 1968, in Romania. She began doing woodcuts in 1987 under the supervision of Dafinel Duinea, a Romanian self-taught printmaker. After working as an Art Teacher at the “Marin Sorescu” High School of Arts in Craiova, Romania, Ortansa immigrated to Canada in 2002 and worked in Toronto. Ortansa holds a PhD from The Western University of Timisoara, Romania. She was awarded with the first Scholarship in 1993 at the 4th European Biennial of Fine Arts Academies in Maastricht, Holland, Masterclasss Section, with Luciano Fabro. Another two Scholarships were awarded to her from the “Dante Alighieri” Cultural Society in Rome, Italy, in 1996 and 1998. Since her arrival in Canada, Ortansa has been awarded the Third Prize in Italy at the IV International Biennial of Graphic Arts, Francavilla al Mare, 2006, the Juror's Award in 2007 at the Glenhyrst Art Gallery, at the Juried Drawing Exhibition, Brantford, Canada, and the Third Prize-Abstract at The Society of Canadian Artist's 41st Open Juried National Exhibition. Also in 2009 , the Arts/Social Justice Award of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada, presented by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.
Ortansa is a member of the Society of Canadian Artists, the International Mezzotint Society and the Ontario College of Teachers. Ortansa has exhibited her prints internationally for more than twenty-five years and her work can be seen at www.ortansa.com