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Light & Letters

The present exhibition presents two authors graduated from the MA in "Calligraphy" at the Department "Poster and Visual Communication", National Academy of Arts - Tsvetislava Koleva and Zhaklina Simova.

Calligraphy is, inherently, an exclusively elitist art that has long since surpassed the boundaries of beautiful writing and has entered the territory of truly conscious and experienced creative pursuits. The result is sophisticated and deeply impressive graphic artwork made through the art of letters.

The two collections presented in the exhibition are to some extent united by the principle laid down in them, namely the leading role of light, which in this case is not only a means of perception of individual works but also a full participant in each of them. Light is a plastic means that allows the viewer to immerse himself in the idea of ​​the author and fully enjoy the aesthetic message he has set.

The exhibition also implies interactive visual materials illustrating the processes of creating the main works and their possible transformations, thus allowing a deeper understanding of creative messages.

Meanwhile, a collection of author's bindings (a work by K. Borisova and T. Gulov) will be located as a support and final addition of the general vision of the exhibition.

There is also a possible sale of author's prints from the two collections participating in the exhibition.

Jacklina Simova

Jacklina Simova graduated from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia, specialty "Poster and Visual Communication" and then a master's degree in "Calligraphy" there. In graduation, he also received a special award for creative contributions from the New Vision International Group and was accepted as a regular member of the association.

The diploma work of Jacklina Simova is in fact an independent creative project that aims to present to the viewer the calligraphy in historical and development not as a bearer of text and information but rather as a common graphic message such as texture and raster and of course the resulting the result is actually the essence of the age in which the calligraphy standard has its place. Very original is the choice of media for the presentation of the result, broken through the author's mind and soul, namely Plexiglas panels, to which the compositions are negatively interpreted. This allows the light to be actively involved as a building factor, and provoking provocative graphic images through it. The addition of color also helps for the active perception of the message set by the author. Moreover, there is also a series of preliminary works, precisely written calligraphies in their classical form, of no less importance for the complete perception of the collection.

In addition to the above-mentioned works, the collection also contains rich interactive material reflecting the process of their creation and representing the variety of translations of its works as a symbiosis of letters and light.

Tsvetislava Koleva

Tsvetislava Koleva is a designer based in Sofia, Bulgaria. Her work is an interesting mixture of paper objects, calligraphy and graphic design. Combining precision with bright colors and graphic compositions, she is able to make her work come alive. Whether these are masks, animals, or birds, these objects are always broken up in her own eyes.

He graduated from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia with a Bachelor's degree in Advertising Design and a Master's Degree in Calligraphy. Currently, Tsvetislava is part of the Four Plus studio team.

Her projects take part in exhibitions and competitions such as 2018 Typography Competition of Communication Arts, One Design Week 2016, Paper Art Fest Sofia and Arjowiggins Second Skin Contest 2013. The graduate project "Strokes, Shapes & Light“) is among the winners of the eighth Annual Typography Competition of Communication Arts.

The presented thesis is based on a number of preliminary preparations designed to make a connection between the trace left by the corresponding typewriter and it is possible the most adequate equivalent made of paper. The object of analysis is the classic metal feather, the round and flat brush, terrine and car-foam. The result of these studies is presented in the form of a few incredibly crafted plastic calligraphies, this being only the first stage of this project. His subsequent interpretations are high-quality photographs that represent the symbiosis of volume and light, and the result is always different and provocative to the viewer.

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