Invoke

Invocation is a work constructed as a moral and spiritual message, not as a formal exercise “for the sake of art.” Nicolae Popa explicitly assumes the role of “teacher” of moral education: the sculpture becomes a public sign of the moment when man, left without human support, seeks unseen help – of beneficent spirits, of the guardian angel, of faith.

The female figure, with her head bowed close to the ground, sets the emotional register of the work: not triumph, but humility, inner kneeling, vulnerability. The gesture is essential for the idea of invocation: asking for help implies a lowering of pride and a turning towards what exceeds one's own powers.

In front of her, the “stepped” surface, resembling stones/slabs, can be read as a path of trials, as a difficult threshold to cross, or as a symbolic “ladder” of prayer – a step-by-step approach to a higher support. The work conveys a Christianity of protection and compassion: not a cold symbol, but a concentrated scene of man on the edge and the beneficent force that covers him.

Overall, Invocare functions as a small open-air altar: a sculpture that invites contemplation and the awareness that, beyond human support, there is a dimension of spiritual support. Through this orientation, Nicolae Popa transforms public space into a place of moral reflection, and the sculpture – into an act of guidance and confession.