London based Simona Ruscheva graduated from Fine Art Painting in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. She held her first solo show in Sofia, Bulgaria in 2018 and has also participated in various group shows across London, including Royal Institute of British Artists Annual exhibition and Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition.
Ruscheva is a contemporary figurative artist. Being an immigrant has a huge influence on her work and a way of staying connected to her culture is directly through her art. Ruscheva explores various subjects from Bulgarian folklore and heritage, using very traditional elements and objects, such as embroidery and pottery designs, with mythological themes and universal symbols. Ruscheva implements and transforms ideas from different rituals and fables to create a contemporary interpretation of her culture, emphasising on the mystical and esoteric aspect of it.
Within her works, she wants to strengthen and expand people`s awareness of the still existing cultural diversity in a current world setting, where globalisation is the new trend. With ethnicity being melted down, Ruscheva considers it really important to acknowledge and preserve our own heritage.
Self-taught or art school?
I graduated Fine Art Painting at St. Cyril and St. Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. Having the academic training has really nurtured my love for figurative painting, and working predominantly in oil also has its roots at my school years. I believe this experience gave me a really good base as it was 4 years of different experiments and practising every day, which I consider fundamental. I have also learned a lot from my colleagues and formed long-lasting friendships. I can definitely say going to art school was a moment in my life that I am especially grateful for.
If you could own one work of art what would it be?
This is such a tough question! I have so many favourite works, so narrowing them down to one is almost impossible. I love contemporary art, but since I was way younger I have a very special interest in symbolism works. That interest developed further in art school and I have spent many hours looking at different works and artists and some of the works really struck me. One in particular that I even now reference occasionally was Arnold Böcklin – The Isle of the Dead. He painted a few variations of the same work and all of them are just incredible. So my answer to the question would be either one of the variations, or better – all of them!
How would you describe your style?
My style has changed drastically over the years, it used to be very expressive, large brush strokes, lots of paint. Over the past few years, I have started to refine everything I do, using more references, which allowed me to dig deeper into details, smoothed out my brushwork, being more expressive only in certain areas to either emphasise or unify. I love playing with colours, so I normally have quite a big palette, which changes throughout different works, but they all have unifying tones. Sometimes the colours reminisce traditional Bulgarian embroidery, tapestry, pottery, as I use lots of different elements of these in my works, which I fuse with the figures through the narrative and colour work. I like mixing realistic features in the figures with more expressive elements and graphic backgrounds. I usually paint on deep edge canvases and recently started painting on the side of the canvas too, which is something I absolutely enjoy, it gives the work another dimension of colour. I am really going into some details, whether it is the clothes, the eyes, the nails, there is always something I spend more time doing.
Can you tell us about your artistic process?
I am always painting a few works simultaneously, I find it easier to switch focus from one work to another than to focus only on one. I normally work on larger canvases, but recently switched and decided to try a few smaller ones. Firstly I start with a thumbnail sketch of the idea I have, then I would usually take photos for reference if I need to. I would then draw directly on the canvas and start with the colours. Sometimes as the work starts to unfold itself I find that the colours I thought of initially do not work well, so I change them. When I paint I always have a vision in my head of what I want to do, most of the times that vision develops and evolves, especially for larger works that take more time, but there is always an endpoint, which is not even visual at times, but more of an idea. However, with each work, it is the moment of reaching and materialising the abstract vision that makes it “finished” for me.
Is narrative important within your work?
Yes, narrative is one of the most important things for me in my works, as through this I am unfolding myself through my own heritage, putting it into a different setting. However, I have found that people form their own narratives within my works, which is really amazing and I love hearing other people`s thoughts.
Who are your favourite artists and why?
I am a huge fan of symbolism as mentioned above, so I love Arnold Böcklin, Frantisek Kupka, William Blake, John William Waterhouse to name a few. Some of my most favourite contemporary artists are Conor Harington, Kent Williams and James Jean.
What or who inspires your art?
I get really inspired by looking at other artists. I am constantly discovering new works and I like very different styles too, which inspire me in different ways. Since a few months ago I started looking a lot more at pottery and ceramics, which is actually inspiring me in a whole new way. A lot of my ideas also come from books or articles I have read. I love science fiction, mythology, esotericism and folk tales.
Where’s your studio and what’s it like?
My studio is at my house right now and I love it! I have a baby boy and at the moment everything I do is a juggle between that and the baby. Everything is much more balanced with my studio at home as I can just jump on painting whenever I can. Also, I sometimes have urges to paint very early in the morning (rarely at night, I am a morning person) and it is just extremely convenient.
Do you have any studio rituals?
Not really, I am quite spontaneous when it comes to painting. However, I always clean my palette after I am finished for the day, as I don`t like scrubbing dried paint the next day. When I go to my studio I just want to get on with painting and not mess around with other things.
What are you working on currently?
I have focused more on doing some smaller works, they are quicker and easier to finish. I have two large canvases I am very eager to finish and I set my deadline for the by the end of the year. I have some new ideas I want to experiment with, like a new surface I want to test. I also started playing around with some digital workings, which I am quite excited about and cannot wait to share!
Where can we buy your art?
The best place for that is my website – https://simonaruscheva.com/. I have a section with all my paintings with prices, so you can just send me an email if you see something that you like. I also have an online shop with small originals, limited edition prints and other items which you can buy directly on my website. I am also starting an artist newsletter, where I will be sharing my new works and exclusive updates, you can sign up to my mailing list – https://simonaruscheva.com/mailing-list/
