Monica Balc was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania. Her love for sculpture developed in early childhood under the mentorship of her childhood art instructor and with the unwavering support of her father, which ignited and solidified her artistic commitment. She was accepted to Nicolae Tonitza High School of Fine Arts, the only art high school in the country at the time. She later studied at the Academy of Art in Bucharest and at Arizona State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sculpture. She moved to Chicago to pursue graduate studies and received a MFA in Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Currently, Monica is based in Chicago, where she creates portraits and figurative works that explore humanity and the human condition. Her preferred medium is clay, often used as a foundation for works later realized in other materials. Her work has been included in juried exhibitions and art fairs in Chicago, IL; Knoxville, TN and Scottsdale & Tempe, AZ.