Public Republic

Jasmina Tacheva interviews artist Evelina Angelova

Photo: Mihaela Raykova

Hi Eva, where where are you right now and what have you been up to?

I’m finishing my projects for my exchange semester in Ljubljana. Aside from that, I have been working on a project about Sofia for several months and I hope it will be ready this summer.

Could you tell us a bit more about yourself? How and when did you become interested in art?

I’ve been painting more seriously since my high school years. I’ve always wanted to have a creative job and I think that graphic design was a perfect fit for me.

A few days ago a short article of yours about Transformatori‘s street art project to transform the power transformers along Sofia’s Rakovski St. appeared on CNN iReport. What made you join the project?

Around this time last year I randomly saw on Facebook that Transformatori had announced a competition for ideas for the painting of the power transformers on Rakovski St. Since it’s the Bulgarian Broadway, I immediately decided to join and paint images of some of the biggest names in Bulgarian theater that have been awarded an Askeer.

What do you think the role of art in our lives is?

Quite a lot of clichés come to mind, such as that life without art is mere subsistence, but clichés are generally very true. How long can we possibly go on without good music, a good book or movie …?

Do you prefer traditional painting techniques or rather the new opportunities digital art provides? Both can be seen in your work, how do you combine them?

Definitely the traditional ones – watercolors and graphics, but they are rarely applicable to my projects, so I draw predominantly on a tablet. Good illustrations are highly valued in graphic design and I try to improve in this area.

You’ve lived and worked in different places in Europe. What is your impression – are there differences in the perception of visual arts, depending on latitude, so to speak?

As far as design and advertising are concerned, in England, where I go to school, modern trends are influenced by the so-called hipster fashion. I notice that a simpler and lighter vision and handpainted/crafted articles are preferred. In Bulgaria, it is still not very common to come across a hand-painted poster or packaging, but every time I go back there, I am pleasantly surprised that there are increasingly more such visions in the market.

Do art and marketing/advertising have anything in common?

Absolutely. For me, the beautiful advertising or branding of a company is nothing short of a beautiful painting for example.

Which artists and art movements inspire you for your work?

My favorite artists are Escher, Mucha, Klimt and Leonid Afremov, who are very different from each other, so I don’t think there is a specific movement that inspires me. As for design and advertising, I regularly follow various blogs where great projects from around the world have been assembled.

What is the most valuable piece of advice you have ever received in field of art?

On a wall in my university, in large letters, there are written the steps that are needed for the best outcome of a project. Between each two steps there is “experiment” – from the beginning to the end of the process.

What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

Don’t let anyone discourage you from your ideas. Don’t listen to sayings like, Most artists / musicians / writers remain poor.

What will you be working on in the coming months?

On a project of mine, which, I hope, will contribute at least a little bit to promoting Sofia as a tourist destination.