Savior of full -time life and grace sculptor. “It's something that calls you, that's what I feel”

Practice a job in which you need speed of reaction, control, courage and dedication. The silence after a day full of adrenaline finds it at home, in the improvised workshop, sculpting icons in wood.

Marian Nedelcu discovered the sculpture eight years ago Photo: FB/Marian Nedelcu

Marian Nedelcu is a military fireman and works within the Inspectorate for Emergency Situations “High Bridge” Vaslui – Huși Fire Fire section. He is also the artist who has carved with soul the trout in front of the unit to whom the threshold passes every day. The job of firefighter has been practicing for almost 20 years, and with the sculpture he met eight years ago.

“The incident made me know a popular craftsman, Mr. Stefan Csukat, a Bucovina sculptor, established here, in Huși ”the sculptor revealed. The master had launched a contest on the Facebook page, offering a wood carved icon to the person who correctly indicates the names of the saints represented in icons. He did not win the contest, although he recognized several saints, instead he knew the master, who approached and had the privilege to observe at the work table.

“Standing next to him, seeing how he works, I told him in one day that I can do something like that. And he blocked, so, at the moment, he did not come to believe. He drew me the Mother of God, the simplest, so to speak, a work that a beginner can do. He gave me two knives, two chisels, and I left home. And after three days I took the icon made and did not come to believe ”, Marian Nedelcu remembered the beginnings.

With the painting he had flirted somewhat in childhood, when he “stole” his mother, which he put on wooden frames and treated them with bone glue, with the complicity of the father who had information from the painters through the balconies. May the talent come from grandparents too. The grandfather from the father was blacksmith, and the grandmother from the mother was weaving carpets with an extraordinary talent and a special color. “I think there is something native inherited”, adds Marian Nedelcu.

After taking the first steps, he felt the need to grind his talent and attended profile at the People's Art School, not many years ago. And since then he sits at the work table without a program, without proposing, but every time he feels. It works mainly icons. “The icon attracted me the most”says the sculptor.

The trout made by Marian Nedelcu is in front of the Huși Fire Fire Station: ISU Vaslui

All the objects he has made so far, and they have gathered quite a lot, were the fruit of an interior start. He does not work for sale and unfortunately he did not have the time to perform all the invitations he received, to participate in profile fairs in the country.

He has a small regret that he failed to reach, in the summer 2025, at the Hobița Festival, at the largest edition of the event dedicated to the master Constantin Brâncuși

“I leave them all to the will of God. When God will want, then ”, explained the sculptor who is the “plan”.

“An icon is given at a special moment”

He did not put a price on the material value of the objects he realizes. It is aware that such products have a very restricted buyers segment. Even the objects quite useful, made by the popular craftsmen, no longer have the same “search” on the market.

“Is no longer the appropriate time. And such a work, if someone buys it, or buy it for him, or buy it to give it. An icon, right to tell you, is given at a special moment. You give it to someone married, you give it to a anniversary, or in a unique situation. Do not buy an icon how you would buy a toothpaste that is useful. It is something unique in its own way, because the icon itself instills your faith, a special feeling instill. The icon accompanies you from birth to death ”, says the sculptor.

Work done by photo sculptor: FB/Marian Nedelcu

It became quite complicated and to get their wood to work. It cannot work with any kind of wood, it requires soft wood, linden or willow. And the wood is usually sold in large quantities. He also manages to find what he needs at the processing factories.

Troița, consecrated on September 13, on the Day of Firefighters, is not the first one he made. Another trout gave it to the Vovidenia monastery to which Father Mina Dobzeu served for several years.

“I had a few planks bought from a gentleman a few years ago and they stayed in the garage at me for about three years, until I had a call to make a cross. I didn't feel anything until that time came. That's how it works at me. And I did it for the sketch ”revealed Marian Nedelcu.

And when they make icons things happen similar. He works when he feels, he cannot schedule a certain working day. He takes care to respect the erminia of Byzantine painting (a set of norms and canons used by Byzantine painters to play the sacred text in their paintings).

“I have a course of things. I start with prayer. I do not carve, for example, without reading about the Saint, without listening to the saint's aquatist, without praying, because otherwise he does not come out. I found this way ”the sculptor revealed.

The most attracted was to represent the Mother of the Lord, but also the Holy Spiridon, the Holy Nectary of Eghina, the Saint Mina, the Holy Archangels Michael and Gavril, the Holy Emperors Constantine and Elena.

For the sculpture that depicts Stefan cel Mare he waited for several months. He had wood in the house, a 60 -year -old wood, but he couldn't decide what to do.

“I was passing by her and I couldn't work. It is not like the breaking of wood, that I have to break wood when I have no fire. It's something that calls you, that's what I feel, I don't know the other craftsmen as it happens. There are days when I do not put my hand on the chisel and there are days when I have a kind of wish. (…) And one day I came from work, I had a hard day, and although I was tired of that icon. Until the evening I finished ”the artist also revealed.

The youngest son begins to show interest in the craft. In fact, Marian Nedelcu is happy, when he is asked for support, children in the secrets of the wooden carriage.

The artist's works have already been admired in photo exhibitions: FB/Marian Nedelcu

Marian Nedelcu's works could be admired in several important exhibitions.

“The faith carved in wood ”, An exhibition hosted by the Romanian Peasant Museum, brought together in October 2024 three artists who carve with the soul: Marian Nedelcu, Adrian Florin Bițică and Mircea Tofan. Another important exhibition, “Balkan interference”, the VA edition, which will be opened next week, will also contain a work of the sculptor Nedelcu. 60 artists from Romania, Bulgaria and Greece, as well as members of the Greek Union in Romania will be exhibited, from various artistic fields, including painting, painted and carved icons, tapestries and sculpture.

“God placed them, brought me all that I have without much effort. (…) It's a gift I received and I want to use it with the same love with which I was sent ”said the artist.