Artist Statement               My name is Dana Muresan and I create large metal sculptures using steel and bronze. The processes I utilize are forging, casting, welding and cold forming.               My inspiration comes from nature, the ultimate creatress. I am drawn to repetitive structures of natural patterns, from gentle curves in the bodies of animals and people, to twisting vines of old trees.               Metal is a material of many contradictions. It is strong and durable, yet soft and malleable. It is my favorite medium because with it, I can make pieces that will outlast me, that look delicate and that are strong. I find the process of melting metal most exciting when the metal glows red with heat, and becomes pliable like clay. I am performing a dance with fire when working at the forge, applying torque to the piece with my whole body, sometimes requiring all my strength. Smooth curves and luscious surfaces render lifelike qualities to metal, otherwise known for coldness and rigidity.               I express myself through abstract figurative language, using the dichotomies in the nature of steel. My portfolio consists of life-size humanoid, animal and plant structures, simplified to basic forms. The pieces combine elegance and grace, with monstrosity and strength. These works are characterized by rhythmical and repetitive structures, and are described by archetypal titles. They look fluid and in motion, shapes that are ready to slip away into a next-door universe, or simply defy reality through sheer presence.               To ever experience the world anew is important to me. I look at things through the innocent eyes of a child, and hope to inspire that perception in the observer. I strive to express through my sculpture an exaggerated world, one that is beautiful and terrifying at the same time.