Indragostit de pasari, de inaltul cerului si de frumusetea traditiei autentice, Maricel
Apalaghiei s-a nascut acum aproape jumatate de veac intr-un sat cu nume de pasare (Hulub)
din nordul Moldovei. Isi aminteste cu mare placere cum in copilarie mos Neculai Molocea,
fratele mamei, l-a invatat sa se apropie de mestesugul pe care-l practica cu atata daruire
acum: „La cinci ani am inceput a paste oile departe de sat, la iazul lui Stefan. Asa
l-am cunoscut pe mos Neculai, care lucra ceva ce nu lucrau ceilalti din sat; facea cazi,
butoaie, roti de caruta, usi, geamuri, dar si mic mobilier, pe care-l incrusta cu atata
precizie, incat nici astazi cred ca nu mai lucreaza altul la fel. Era mandru de ceea ce
facea si n-ar fi dat secretul meseriei in ruptul capului, dar dupa mai multi ani in care
s-a tot impiedecat de mine prin atelier a vrut sa ma puna la incercare. Mi-a dat o sipca
de tei, o dalta si un creion si mi-a zis s-o incrustez. Dupa ce am terminat treaba, mi-a
mai dat o sipca pe care s-o crestez acasa, dar nu cumva sa dau cu dalta in vreun cui ca nu
mi-o mai da. Pentru ca am terminat repede de crestat, am cautat un loc in mijlocul mesei,
am desenat o rozeta si la prima crestare am stricat dalta intr-un cui fara cap. Cu toata
rusinea, m-am dus cu dalta sa mi-o ascuta, dar asa cum mi-a zis, nu mi-a mai dat-o. Dalta
ca a mosului Neculai nu am mai avut pana la 20 de ani”.
A absolvit cursurile Facultatii de Mecanica din Iasi,
insa relevant pentru profilul sau actual e faptul ca a urmat in 1983 si cursurile Scolii
Populare de Arta din Iasi, atunci facand cunostinta cu pretiosul patrimoniu aflat la
Muzeul Etnografic al Moldovei. Ultimii ani ai comunismului si primii ai capitalismului
l-au tinut strans legat de pamant, de abia de 4-5 ani dedicandu-se extrem de activ
activitatii mestesugaresti. Este membru fondator al AMPM; fiind unul dintre mesterii care
are mereu un cuvant avizat de spus.
Motivele sau ansamblurile decorative pe care le
inchipuie in special pe cozile lingurilor sau pe troitele miniaturale provin din zestrea
arhaica a romanilor, mesterul botosanean exceland in combinatii neasteptat de
surprinzatoare, echilibrate si placute privirii. Pasarile, legate organic de zanul
Dragobete, patronul dragostei la romani, incep sa-l defineasca pe mesterul de la Hulub,
iar povestea pe care o spune adesea ii fac pe cei care-l intalnesc sa retraiasca momente
de mult trecute in uitare.
Colinda tara in lung si in lat, adesea langa sotia
Sonia, cea care ii este nu numai sfatuitoare, ci si un ajutor vrednic. Faptul ca isi
dedica acum toata energia mestesugului este un act de mare curaj, exemplul sau putand fi
urmat si de altii. Iar modul in care a decis sa ia viata de la capat, pornind o noua
gospodarie pe dealul Hulubului, deal pe care deja vede turisti occidentali, este, iarasi,
exemplar. |
In
love with the birds, with the infinite sky and the beauty of the genuine tradition Maricel
Apalaghiei was born almost half a century ago in a village with a bird name (Hulub/pigeon)
in the North of Moldavia. He recalls how when he was a child, his uncle Neculai Molocea,
his mother’s brother initiated him in the handicraft he devotes himself now: “When I
was five I started to go with the sheep far from the village, at Stephan’s pond. This is
how I met my uncle Neculai, who, unlike the other villagers had a different occupation; he
built tanks, barrels, cart wheels, doors, window panes but also small furniture that he
engraved with a particular precision like I never saw another craftsman do. He was proud
of his work and he would have never agree to disclose his trade secret not even in a
million years but after several years that he stumbled over me in his shop, he decided to
try me. He gave me a linden lath, a chisel and a pencil and he told to inlay it. After I
finished my work, he gave me a lath to indent it home but he also told to be careful and
not to drive any nail with the chisel because he would not give it to me again. Because I
finished the job quickly, I looked for a place in the middle of the table and I drew up a
rosette and when I first wanted to inlay it, I broke the chisel in a brad nail. Though
ashamed, I went to him and asked him to sharpen the chisel, but as he had previously
warned he never gave me the chisel again. Until I turned 20, I never had a chisel like
uncle Neculai’s chisel.”
He graduated from the Faculty of Mechanics in Iasi,
but relevant for his present profile is the fact that he also attended the courses of the
Popular Art School from Iasi having thus, the opportunity of getting acquainted with the
valuable patrimony existent at the Ethnographic Museum of Moldavia.
The last years of communism and the first years of
capitalism kept him tied to the ground. In fact, he started to devote himself to the
craftsmanship very actively 4-5 years ago. He is one of the founding members of AMPM;
being one of the craftsman who always have a competent opinion to give.
The motives and the design ensembles he imagines on the spoon tails or on the small size
triptychs come often from the archaic inheritance of the Romanian people, the artisan from
Botosani excelling in surprising unexpected and balanced combinations which are a delight
for the eye. The birds which are organically connected with the God Dragobete, the
Romanian love master, define the artisan from Hulub and the story he often tells makes the
ones who meet him live again long forgotten moments.
He walks countrywide often together with his wife,
Sonia, who is not only his adviser, but also a diligent help. The fact that he dedicates
now his entire energy to the handicraft represents a very courageous deed, his example
being worth following. And the way he decided to start another life, by setting another
farm on Hulub hill, where he already sees occidental tourists is again an example.
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