Paul Neagu

Paul Neagu was my ideal image of a sculptor, writes Angela Flowers [further to the obituary by Paul Overy, 21 June]. Handsome and strong, with a fine head of hair and intense gaze, he was charming and serious.

Paul Neagu was my ideal image of a sculptor, writes Angela Flowers [further to the obituary by Paul Overy, 21 June]. Handsome and strong, with a fine head of hair and intense gaze, he was charming and serious.

In 1970, after Richard Demarco had arranged for Neagu to come to England from Romania, Paul Overy, having often talked about this extraordinary sculptor, introduced us. Although I loved his work and bought a fine stainless-steel piece, it wasn't until 1993 that he joined the Angela Flowers Gallery. To mark this occasion his "Catalytic Sculpture" was mounted at The Economist.

This was followed later the same year by an exhibition of sculpture and drawings at Flowers East called "Epagoge" - the inductive formation of exemplary models. It was the beginning of a sometimes erratic relationship, thwarted, despite the gallery's dedication, by Neagu's shortage of funds to support his needs.

This engendered some bitterness in the artist; as he wrote to Matthew Flowers,

Please try to understand that I am too aware of what I am worth, and the one thing I have decided long ago not to accept is sentimental reasoning instead of objective reasoning. And do not worry on my account. I still have a lot of humour left. I am saying this because I feel I always give the impression of being hard and difficult . . .

If only a stroke in 2001 had not prevented him from communicating in English, we would have loved to have continued working with this amazing man - and never mind the "hard and difficult".