ILIANA ILIEVA

I paint to enlighten my inner quest for unbiased truth with a pulsating soul.

I paint to transform energy into matter.

I am convinced art has the influence to build bridges, yet to destroy boundaries; it has the power to disarm and yet to be a blade. That dichotomy dwells my paintings and defies my internal unrest as I mature as an artist.

I admire the craftsmanship and legacy of realism therefore I obey paint meticulously with controlled grace and devotion.

In my paintings I encapsulate familiar objects and deprive them of their contextual realm. Rather they reside as a causa sui – a self-caused cause, a distinct existence, independent on any other grounds thus discarding the burden of social, economical, cultural or historical constraints.

I nourish the beauty of unguarded fragility and refined power. The buoyant composition in my artworks dissents the immanent fleeting nature of things and commemorates the transcendence of the soul.

BIO

Iliana Ilieva is an intuitive artist with an outstanding painting technique and a sense of ascetic colour mastery. Her art invites a second thought and the inner questioning of the observer that is often hard to vocalize. Her restrained grace and striking hand embed a timeless meaning that goes beyond the canvas. She has a brave sense of uncompromised sternness and a wide visual vocabulary which hypnotize the viewer and relents the god that ruins one’s inner grounds.

Iliana opened her first solo show in 2021 followed by more solo and group exhibitions and has quickly gained recognition for her impeccable realistic style by some of the most renowned Fine Art professors in Bulgaria. Her paintings are listed in private collections worldwide. She has exhibited both locally and internationally.

In 2022 she took part in The Other Art Fair Los Angeles organized by Saatchi Art where her work was shortlisted and for the official Best of Fair catalogue issued by the Fair Director.

In 2023 she resided in Balchik for the 34th edition of the International Art Festival organized by the Process Space Art Foundation.

Recently she was nominated for Forbes Women 2023 Project that recognizes successful women in Bulgaria.

EXHIBITIONS

THEY OWN THE NIGHT Aeterna Gallery, Plovdiv, November 2023

ALTER EGO The Residence Exclusive Club, Sofia September 2023

ART MARATHON BRAVO, Plovdiv September 2023

ARCHAEOLOGY OF HAPPINESS Process Space International Art Forum June 2023

THE BRICK ReBonkers, Varna June 2023

COPSA OPEN ART FEST May 2023

COPSA OPEN ART FEST December 2022

TRANSCENDENCE The Residence Exclusive Club, Sofia December 2022

ARISTOCRAT RE Club Gallery, Sofia May 2022