Women in Art 278 Magazine January 2018 | Page 37

ABOUT THE ARTIST: I studied art in Sofia, Bulgaria, where I learnt extensively about tech- nique, composition and colour. Although I don’t want to ignore or deny my cultural background, I felt I wanted to focus on expression and on my identity as an artist rather than on perfection and realism in my work. In my paintings I try to capture the inner struggle I constantly feel between my past and my future. I recog- nize myself in the nervousness and the continuous movement of the ballerina’s (ballet is a very important part of our culture) who, together with other females I paint, are a metaphor for the doubts and fears that are part of my existence and which I try to control by painting them. My goal as an artist is to make strong and expressive paintings by accepting this constant battle between confidence and hesitation, stability and restlessness, rules and freedom. The more I accept these polarities and succeed in bringing them together, the more convincing my work becomes. ART 37 pag e