(b Arad, 13 Dec 1925). Romanian sculptor. He studied sculpture at the Institute of Fine Arts ‘N. Grigorescu’ in Bucharest between 1945 and 1950. In 1950 he became a founder-member of the Union of Plastic Artists of Romania. From 1950 to 1956 he was a lecturer at the Institute of Fine Arts. In 1953 he made his début at the Official Salon in Bucharest, exhibiting sculptures inspired by Socialist Realism and by formal academicism. His masterly, naturalistic modelling is especially evident in public sculptures (e.g. Miner, plaster, 1957; Anina). In 1962, with The Wall, he began to explore different means of expression. Modelling was replaced by direct carving, bronze by wood and figuration by abstraction. The scale became more natural than monumental, as in Angels (walnut, 94*88*193 mm, 1971; London, Tate). Maitec used large pieces of hard wood, which he first attacked with saw and axe to achieve rough and gravitational volumes. Then he perforated the solid mass from different angles, creating a honeycomb structure penetrated by light. The immobility of the structure was broken through ingenious combinations, with hinges giving mobility to different parts and shutters (e.g. The Tree, 1422*558 mm, 1968; Bucharest, N. Mus. A.), inviting not only the eye but the hand of the viewer to participate in the continuous interplay. This synthesis between the craftsmanship of popular carving and modernism, between the legacy of Brancusi and Op art made Maitec one of the most original post-war Romanian artists. He also achieved recognition outside Romania, exhibiting at the Circle Gallery in London (1969); Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge University (1973); Richard Demarco Gallery, Edinburgh (1974); and Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool (1977). He also participated in the Venice Biennale (1968, 1972, 1980). His best-known monuments include those dedicated to Romanian Television, Bucharest (bronze, 1970), and to the national poet Mihai Eminescu (stone, 1975; Cluj-Napoca).