Interwoven

The exhibition is the second solo project by Daniela Todorova, celebrating her 60th anniversary in 2023. It is part of the “Solo Exhibitions” section of Sofia Paper Art Fest and the final event in this year’s festival program. Serdica Gallery was chosen for a reason, in the heart of old Sofia and the Women’s Market, 50 meters from the building where the artist was born and raised.

The project is dedicated to a topic that has been fascinating Daniela Todorova for years and is related to the intertwining of time, space and form of expression. The collection contains scrolls and panels, complemented by an installation that unifies the entire space. The exhibition becomes a single work in which each element communicates with the others. Scrolls are one of the most preferred forms by the artist throughout her oeuvre, not only carrying messages and imagery but often becoming part of large spatial installations. The combination of paper and relief fragments enhances the sense of movement and lightness. The works are constructed from Japanese and Korean handmade papers weaving hemp and linen fibres, fragments of old book editions, ethereal vegetal elements and small scrolls of revelations. The works bear delicate reliefs characteristic of the artist’s style.

Her creative journey began in the monumental arts with several awards for art in architecture in Bulgaria and abroad. In 2008 she was captivated by the possibilities of paper art in Finland and for the last 20 years it has dominated her work. Typical are the works in natural whiteness and subtle structures that convey different messages.
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Here is what Todorova shares about her project:
“The main focus of all my work, regardless of the medium, is the spiritual messages woven into symbolic works. Over the years I have worked in various media – printmaking, cartooning, painting, stained glass and icon painting. Almost 20 years ago, I discovered the unsuspected possibilities of creating large format works of lightness and vitality through the language of this ancient material, paper. It remains to this day my favourite medium, to which I have dedicated years not only for myself but for many artists from around the world. My belief in the unity and encounter of destiny and reality is at the heart of this project, which bears the symbolic name “Interwoven”.

The messages I send are part of my sense of symbolism and purity in the universe, which is also my credo. The whiteness and natural shades from cream to golden brown, express my adoration for the true things in life and our Earth, which has hidden ancient knowledge through symbols and signs covered by the dust of Time.

“Interwoven” is a revelation. “Interwoven” is the beginning of a long story about the living memory that surrounds us and carries information from ancient times. The place where I was born is the oldest marketplace in Europe, which has not changed its location until today and it was an important social location in ancient Serdica. In the memories, this place is bathed in light and colours of abundance. It is a priceless treasure not only for us but also for those who come after us. I believe in the eternal dependence of past and future meeting in the present, of which we are a part.”

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The exhibition is open until January 14, 2024 at Serdica Gallery, 90B Tsar Samuil St., fl. 2, the renovated area of Women’s Market.

Working hours: from Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

The event is part of Sofia Paper Art Fest 2023 and is realised with the financial support of the “One-Year Grant” Program of the National Culture Fund and the Calendar of Cultural Event of Sofia Municipality 2023.