SCULPTURES IN BRONZE
A WORLD CLASS EXHIBITION FROM THE CREATIONS OF
H.R.H. PRINCE MONYO MIHAILESCU-NASTUREL
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PEABODY PLACE ENTERTAINMENT AND RETAIL CENTER


MEMPHIS, Tenn., Feb. 15, 2002
– Royalty is seldom seen as an art practitioner, more often simply a patron. The most notable exception is H.R.H. Prince Monyo Mihailescu-Nasturel, an internationally acclaimed sculptor of rough and polished bronze.

Prince Monyo will exhibit a selection of his bronze creations inside Peabody Place Entertainment and Retail Center from February 22nd through March 10, 2002. A public reception honoring Prince Monyo is scheduled from 3:30-6:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 24th on the Center’s main level.

Being born into Romania's royal family during 1926 was not the clear pathway into art one might expect, but it did enable Prince Monyo's release after seven years of imprisonment at the hands of the Communist who occupied his homeland. Rescued from captivity through formal requests from U.S. diplomat Henry Cabot Lodge and the United Nations, Prince Monyo came to the United States during the early 1960s.

In an effort to survive the memories of his turbulent-imprisoned past, the Prince Monyo says he first began shaping clay, "…just to reflect my thoughts." Then during a 1962 visit to Mexico City, Prince Monyo’s art career was afforded a commercial opportunity for public acceptance and his overwhelming, worldwide success has been spread over the 40-years since.

A favorite of collectors around the world, the artistic bronze works of Prince Monyo range from the 62-foot tall "Flames of Life" at the Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Texas; to the 20-foot, 4-ton "Reflections Of The City" found in the private collection of Jack A. Belz, Chairman and CEO of Memphis-based Belz Enterprises; to "The Peabody Ducks."

The bronze creations of Prince Monyo can be found throughout the Memphis area including the children at play inside Peabody Place Entertainment and Retail Center, the adult figures inside Peabody Place Tower and the Memphis Business Journal Building, and the animals in the Oak Court Mall Grove. His commissioned bronze pieces have ranged from a likeness of Mahatma Gandhi, to the 38-foot tall "Flame of Life" at Valley Forge National Park, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, to the 12-foot "Girl with the Dove" at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston.

A prolific modern day sculptor, Prince Monyo was born in Bucharest, Romania on March 5, 1926, the son of wealthy investor and landowner, and who would grow up in the castle of his ancestors. During the early years, his life was augmented with servants, chauffeurs, and yachting on the Black Sea. Formal education for the young Prince later included a doctorate in ancient history and religion, from the prestigious and historic – University of Sorbonne in Paris, France, and a mechanical engineering degree in from the University of Bucharest in Romania.

A life that began in a castle then later to prison, before returning to freedom, represents a volatile beginning for a member of European royalty. Finding solitude in his artistic endeavors through clay, Prince Monyo was able to craft a totally new beginning. His timeless sculptures in bronze convey a feeling of simplicity and comfort, while their energy affords the viewer a glimpse of the drama that has been his life.

The artistic creations of Prince Monyo are available through Gallery Via Veneto and Gallery Versailles in Palm Beach, Florida, among other select outlets around the world.

Peabody Place Entertainment and Retail Center is an indoor, multi-faceted
entertainment and shopping complex set in a unique "streetscape" environment. Covering 300,000-square feet and adjacent to the Peabody Hotel, the Center is connected to three indoor parking garages. It is located at 150 Peabody Place, between Second and Third Streets, in the heart of Downtown Memphis. Tenants include Jillian's, Isaac Hayes, Tower Records & Video, Muvico Peabody Place 22 Theaters, Gap-Gap Kids-Baby Gap. For additional information call (901) 261-PLAY.