Delia Zorzoliu

Biography

Delia Zorzoliu is a multidisciplinary artist originally from Romania, currently based in the United Kingdom. Her creative practice spans painting, writing, graphic design, and illustration. She is an officially certified visual artist by i-CAC (France), holding professional recognition within the European Union. 
View i-CAC profile:
https://www.i-cac.fr/artiste/zorzoliu-delia/cotation.html?filters%5Blargeur%5D=50&filters%5Bhauteur%5D=70 

Delia is a member of the Artists' Union England and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain. She also serves as Vice President of the Romanian Writers' League "Eugen Ionescu" – Olt Branch.

She is the founder of the artistic movement Structural Diagrammatic Expressionism, an innovative fusion of structural engineering diagrams and stereochemistry with expressionist visual language, officially registered with Safe Creative in 2025.
View the full manifesto here: https://deliazorzoliu.art.blog/structural-diagrammatic-expressionism/

Working primarily in mixed media, Delia has developed a distinctive visual language rooted in cultural memory, ancestral symbolism, and historical reinterpretation. Her work draws profound inspiration from the Neolithic heritage of the Oltenia region in Romania, as well as broader European prehistoric and folkloric traditions.

She explores the dynamic interplay between identity, ritual, and symbolic archetypes through a diverse range of materials, including acrylic, oil, ink, pastel, graphite, textile fragments, and gold leaf. Her evocative figurative portraits often merge theatrical elements—such as Victorian aesthetics—with mythological undertones and contemporary sensibilities.

Combining painting, drawing, collage, and experimental textures, she creates artworks that form a dialogue between past and present, memory and materiality. Each composition reflects her commitment to originality, cultural continuity, and the expressive power of visual symbolism.

Her artistic journey has been deeply shaped by her family heritage, particularly the legacy of her grandfather, Traian Zorzoliu—a prominent cultural figure who inspired her love for art and provided early guidance in her creative development.

Delia Zorzoliu is recognized as an ultra-contemporary visual artist whose creations serve as a bridge between internal emotion and visual narrative.

She debuted in painting in 2021 with the solo exhibition Inspiration and the Journey at the Eugen Ionescu Cultural Center in Slatina, Romania. The show featured acrylic and oil paintings and earned her the Diploma of Merit from the International Center for Art in Romania.

In 2022, she organized Illustrations, the Heart of Books at the Ion Minulescu County Library in Slatina—the first exhibition in the region dedicated to digital art and children’s book illustration. The project was awarded a Diploma of Excellence by the Olt County Council.

Later that year, her solo exhibition Explosion of Feelings presented a series of expressive acrylic paintings.

In 2023, her exhibition Digital Art introduced an innovative collection of Neolithic-themed works printed on organic cotton, garnering wide acclaim for its originality and concept.

In 2025, Delia presented a captivating solo exhibition featuring 3D theatrical masks—an imaginative exploration of fictional stage characters as well as masks inspired by ancient Greek and Roman theatre traditions. This project expanded her ongoing interest in performative identity and historical symbolism through sculptural forms.

Also in 2025, Delia was selected through a juried process to participate in the annual English Riviera Summer Open — one of the largest and most prestigious art exhibitions in South East England, celebrating contemporary visual art across disciplines.

In addition to her visual practice, Delia is an accomplished author of children's and adult books, including The Brave Squirrel and the Enchanted Hazel Tree, Crystal Frog and Water Lily Fairy, The Crumb Monster, and the novel The Emerald Earrings: One Love, Two Lives. She illustrates both her own publications and those of other Romanian and international authors, contributing covers and interior artwork.


Certifications & Professional Recognition

Delia Zorzoliu is a Certified Professional Visual Artist by i-CAC (France), Certificate No. 025/3853, valid until June 2028.
She is officially listed in the European Index of Rated Artists, with her rating index listed on www.i-cac.fr.

She holds the following official recognitions issued by i-CAC:

Professional Art Certificate (Certificat Professionnel d’Art Pictural) – confirming her validated artistic activity and professional status.

Certification Attestation (Attestation de Certification) – documenting her registration as a rated visual artist.

Convention Expert Certificate - Confirms that Delia Zorzoliu is recognized as an eligible artist under the i-CAC professional conventions, with the right to participate in evaluations, cultural partnerships, and international processes of artistic value rating, in line with the standards recognized by i-CAC.

Certificate of Authenticity & Pricing Justification – enabling the issuance of internationally recognized Certificates of Authenticity for her original works.

These certifications attest to her consistent exhibition history, catalog publications, and presence in institutional and private art collections.

Education

2025 - BSc (Hons) Civil Engineering Practice - University of Derby, UK - (First Class Honours)
2023 – Painting Courses – City College, Southampton, UK
2022 – Graphic Design – Blue Sky Graphic College, London, UK - (Distinction)

Solo Exhibitions

2025 - “Between Clay and Petals” - CJCA Olt – Art Gallery, Romania

2025 – "Neolithic in Ink" – Boian Plain Museum, "Traian Zorzoliu", Romania

2025 – "Masks and Color" - Ion Minulescu County Library, Romania

2023 – "Digital Art" – Ion Minulescu County Library, Romania

2022 – "Illustrations, the Heart of Books" – Ion Minulescu County Library, Romania

2022 – "Explosion of Feelings" – Ion Minulescu County Library, Romania

2021 – "Inspiration and the Road" – Eugen Ionescu Cultural Center, Romania

Group Exhibitions

2025 – The Artful Prize (UK)-juried selection

2025 – Celebrating Our Strength in Our Diversity – Doncaster Art Fair (UK)- Juried group exhibition featuring international artists

2025 – Archives in Absence exhibition, exploring themes of memory, loss and identity through contemporary visual art

2025 – Shadow and Shade, international curated exhibition and sale, BobCat Gallery, London (UK)

2025 – Paper Cosmos, Fragment Collective, UK (juried selection)

2025 – Ilkley Art Open, Ilkley Arts, Ilkley, UK (juried selection)

2025 – 17th Community Art Exhibition, Circular ArtSpace CIC, Bristol, UK

2025 - “Apothecary” - Fronteer Gallery, Uk

2025 – English Riviera Summer Open - Artizan Gallery, Torquay, UK (juried selection)

2025 – "Spring Show" – Meta Space Gallery, UK

2025 – "Spring Issue/Seasonal Edition" – Tbilisi, Georgia

2025 – "The View" – Fronteer Gallery, UK

2025 – "In Solitude" – Meta Space Gallery, UK

2024 – "Spring Time" – Open Gallery, Halifax, UK

2024 – "101 Contemporary Artists and More..." – Collect Art, Tbilisi, Georgia

2024 – "Queer Art" – Collect Art, Tbilisi, Georgia

2023 – "People and Place" – Kreiva Gallery, Bridlington, UK

2023 – "SB Art Exhibition" – SBARTSTUDIOS_LONDON, London, UK

2023 – "Air, Water, Earth and Fire" – Open Gallery, Halifax, UK

2023 – "Future Stars" – The Holy Art Gallery, London, UK

2023 – "MonART I" – Fox Yard Studio, Suffolk, UK

2023 – "Echoes Within: A Chronicle of Self and Memory" – Cista Arts, London, UK

2023 – "Autumn" – Open Gallery, Halifax, UK

2023 – "Lingering Memories" – Fox Yard Studio, Suffolk, UK

2023 – "The Fronteer Open" – Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield, UK

2023 – "Waiting..." – Quested Gallery, Cheriton, UK

Auctions

2025 – Christmas Art Auction – Chinwe Russell Auctions (UK)

2025 – Mukutan Charity Art Auction – Chinwe Russell Auctions (UK)
– Selected artist with 5 artworks in a charity auction supporting Mukutan Conservancy’s conservation and community projects in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley

2025 - Auction Selection and Listing – Chinwe Russell Contemporary Art Auctions (on LiveAuctioneers), 14 September 2025. International auction selection: 6 artworks chosen for auction exposure across USA, UK, and European markets.

2025 - Auction Selection and Listing – Chinwe Russell Contemporary Art Auctions (on LiveAuctioneers), 3rd July 2025.
International auction selection: 10 artworks chosen for auction exposure across USA, UK, and European markets.

Awards & Recognition

2025 - Award of Excellence - Museum of the Boian Plain “Traian Zorzoliu”, Drăgănești-Olt, Romania - Received in recognition of the complexity and richness of cultural and artistic manifestations presented, celebrating the museum’s 44th anniversary.

2024 – Award of Excellence - Museum of the Boian Plain “Traian Zorzoliu”, Romania - Granted in recognition of the originality of creative work and for promoting the local heritage, history and significant personalities of the region through digital art.

2022 – Award of Excellence – for the first county-wide exhibition of graphic art and children's book illustrations – Olt County Council, Romania

2021 – Award of Merit – for the debut exhibition "Inspiration and the Journey" – International Center for Art, Romania

Representation & Collaborations

2025 – Doncaster Art Fair (Online Representation, UK)
– Selected artwork listed for sale as part of the “Celebrating Our Strength in Our Diversity” curated exhibition.

2025 – BobCat Gallery – London, UK
Artwork Thread of the Forgotten Shore listed for sale on the gallery’s official website as part of their curated collection.

2025 - English Riviera Summer Open, Torquay, UK.
Artwork selected and listed for sale in collaboration with Artizan Gallery (Turquai, UK).

2025 - Meta Space Gallery – UK
Participating artist with works featured in exhibitions and publications. Selected works available for sale via the gallery’s curated platforms and printed issues.

Catalogues & Publications

2025 – Archives in Absence catalogue

2025 – JustArt Newspaper Club, inaugural issue, London & Edinburgh (distributed at art exhibitions in partnership with Artflow Studio and Asian Art Market)

2025 – Featured in the article “Art Exhibition in Draganesti-Olt, published in Cultura Vâlceană magazine, Issue No. 228, page 14 (Romania)

2025 – “Art Exhibition in Drăgănești-Olt” – Cultura Ars Mundi, July 19, a Romanian online cultural magazine dedicated to visual arts, literature, and critical essays. 

2025 - Featured in COOLTARTIS – Quarterly Journal of History, Culture and Literature, issue no. 8 / June 2025, with artworks from the exhibition “Masks and Colour” (pp. 152–155).

2025 - 101 Contemporary Artists and More..., Vol. 9 – Tbilisi, Georgia

2025 – Spring Show – United Kingdom

2025 – Spring Issue/Seasonal Edition – Tbilisi, Georgia

2025 – In Solitude – United Kingdom

2024 – 101 Contemporary Artists and More..., Vol. 5 – Tbilisi, Georgia

2024 – Queer Art – Tbilisi, Georgia

2023 – People and Place – United Kingdom

2023 – Air, Water, Earth & Fire: Autumn Art Exhibition – United Kingdom

2023 – Autumn – United Kingdom

2023 – Echoes Within: A Chronicle of Self and Memory – United Kingdom

Articles

2025 – Chinwe Russell Art Gallery (UK)
Featured in “Artist Spotlight: Delia Zorzoliu — Symbolic Portraits Woven with Memory” (official gallery article).

2025 - Art Exhibition in Drăgănești-Olt by Ana Vasile -  Union of Professional Journalists of Romania (UZPR)- uzpr.ro

2025 - In the footsteps of Traian Zorzoliu - amradiotv.ro

2025 - Masks and Colors - amradiotv.ro 

2025 - Painter Delia Zorzoliu exhibited her works at the County Library - Semnalul ORA

2023 – Delia Zorzoliu – The History of the Native Lands in Digital Art – olttv.ro

2023 – Between Neolithic and Digital Art – amradiotv.ro

2022 – The Story Continues – linia1.ro

2022 – Digital Art at the County Library – olttv.ro

2022 – Explosion of Feelings at the County Library – olttv.ro

Public Collections

2025 – Olt Centre for Culture and Arts – Slatina, Romania
– 1 original oil painting included in the permanent collection

2025 - Museum of the Boian Plain “Traian Zorzoliu” – Drăgănești-Olt, Romania
– 1 original mixed media painting

2024 – Olt County Museum – Slatina, Romania
– 5 Neolithic-themed works printed on museum-quality matte paper and organic cotton
– 1 original oil painting
– 1 museum-quality print after the original oil painting

2024 – Museum of the Boian Plain “Traian Zorzoliu” – Drăgănești-Olt, Romania
– 2 Neolithic-themed works printed on museum-quality matte paper
– 1 original acrylic painting

2023 – Museum of the Boian Plain “Traian Zorzoliu” – Drăgănești-Olt, Romania
– 6 Neolithic-themed works printed on organic cotton

2023 – Ion Minulescu County Library – Slatina, Romania
– 30 Neolithic-themed works printed on organic cotton

2022 – Ion Minulescu County Library – Slatina, Romania
– 35 book illustration works printed on A3 paper

Private Collections

Works in private collections in England, France, Germany, America, Romania.

Literary Works

The Crumb Monster

The Brave Squirrel and the Enchanted Hazel Tree

The Crystal Frog and the Water Lily Fairy

The Emerald Earrings: One Love, Two Lives

Delia Zorzoliu continues to explore the boundaries of art and storytelling, bringing her visions to life through a diverse range of mediums and themes.