How has growing up in Bulgaria influenced your identity as an artist?
I could probably write a whole essay about this…But I’ll try to keep it short and mention what I feel is the most relevant bit..
I think that it was the contrast between the reality of a small rural area in the Balkans (where I’m coming from) and the different lifestyles (specifically Western Culture) that I was able to observe and compare throughout my life – be it by consuming media or living in bigger cities (including abroad) and exploring different ways of Being, so to speak.
I like to incorporate this plethora of influences in my art, often emphasising the beautiful duality of rawness and refinement. Standing on the edge between two worlds, I saw myself as a mediator, translating their paradoxical unity into a work of art that honours any manifestation of life, without judgement or preference.
Do you feel that your Bulgarian roots continue to shape your work, even now that you’re based in the Netherlands?
Absolutely, especially when it comes to my music. Bulgarian folklore has a strong impact on my latest project that started a few years ago but was mostly developed here, in the Netherlands. I’m referring to E0N that blends together Bulgarian polyphonic singing with Gregorian chants, opera, and even Nordic music. I think that Шумна Яна is a good example for incorporating my roots into a modern-sounding piece with ambient flavour.
Have you noticed any shifts in your creative process or themes since moving abroad?
Certainly, that goes hand in hand with my personal evolution and growth. I’ve been going back and forth between Bulgaria and other countries, always going back to where I came from. Soon after moving abroad, I discovered that I feel even more connected to Bulgarian culture. But for me, it has always been important to have a certain distance and stand on the edge between two worlds, allowing myself to be shaped by various influences. This way I’ve had more freedom to explore my own identity and, of course, who I am as an artist.
Were there any Bulgarian cultural movements, artists, or traditions that deeply impacted you early on?
I always felt connected to Bulgarian folklore music, even as a child it would bring tears to my eyes, I felt its power in my bones. From time to time, I still listen and sing certain songs and feel deeply moved by them – it has definitely inspired me to aim to create art that has a similar impact – shaking you from the inside and making you feel the raw beauty of existence.
Is there a particular memory or experience from your time in Bulgaria that you see echoed in your recent collages or performances?
It’s something related to my previous answers actually…
My father used to carry around a small portable radio, he loved listening to music, even during sleeping.
I remember sitting in his room shortly after he passed, staring at an old wooden chair on which he left his radio. And then I saw it – The radio was called ‘World Receiver’. And I realized I’m like this radio – I tune into all these different frequencies, people, realms and translate them in the language of art. This realization became the main inspiration behind my latest experimental EP – The Starseed Journals: World Receiver.
Are there any art projects or initiatives from Bulgaria you feel deserve more international attention?
Yes, there are many interesting projects and artists that deserve not just international but also more national attention – since very often they are rather underground and not really part of the mainstream media. Personally, I’ve been very inspired by the ethno-influenced music of Konstantin Kuchev and Ivan Shopov/Balkansky, and the alternative theatre pieces by Gergana Dimitrova (36 Monkeys).
Additionally, I admire the efforts of people like Yordan Kamdzhalov to organise different initiatives that support the Bulgarian talents or merge together various cultural influences, to create a deeply moving music experience, promoting unity.
Your collage works are rich and layered — how do you approach building a visual composition?
I start with one main image (usually from a magazine page) that I really like and then I build around it. The colour scheme is very important together with the symbology also matters – how the images fit together and what picture do they paint. It’s a visual story that unfolds before my eyes which normally requires me to carefully go through my image library and find the right pictures – just like you would look for the right words to express something. In essence everything I do is collage… Art in itself is a collage, whether you paint with words, while writing or draw with your body while dancing, or put together melodies, while composing a song… For me this process symbolises the intuitive assembling of the fragments of reality that are at our disposal in a way that pleases our soul. Going a bit deeper, this is also how I see life – full of so many contrasts, so many manifestations of reality that coexist simultaneously and form a surrealistic landscape that one can easily get lost in if there is no glue to stick the pieces together. And for me that glue is the core connection to a Higher force above (and within) that we all share.
There’s a strong presence of music and performance in your career. How do sound and visuals interact in your art?
As I shared above, my process for everything is quite the same and when I get to combine different mediums, it allows me to achieve an even more holistic expression of what is hidden behind or encoded in the particular work of art. This can be observed in my project The Starseed Journals: Aetheria for example, which combines spoken word, music and visuals.
What has been the most surprising reaction you’ve received to one of your collages or performances?
I don’t know if it’s the most surprising but it’s one fo the most recent and heartwarming…It was after a projection of the fourth part of my project SJ:A, Voyage of the Blessed – a person from the audience expressed that the piece really touched him in a way that felt like a homecoming, after being away for a long time…
What’s next for you — are there any upcoming projects or themes you’re excited to explore further?
I’m currently working on a music video for ‘SJ: World Receiver’. After that, my next EP, ‘The Starseed Journals: Dark Matter’, will be out later this year.
Meanwhile, I’m creating more collages and preparing for an exhibition.
I’m also looking into collaborating with Bulgarian and international dancers and filmmakers – as the music I’ve been working on for the past years is quite suitable for contemporary dance performances and movies and I’m very curious to see it as part of a bigger project.
