My name is Simona Ruscheva. I graduated Fine Art Painting in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. I am currently living and working in London, UK

I had my first UK solo show “Transitions” in London, 2022 and my first international solo show “The source” at Keep Contemporary Gallery in Santa Fe, USA in 2021.

I have also participated in various international group shows and across London, including Royal Institute of British Artists Annual exhibition, where my work was Highly Commended by the De Laszlo Foundation, and Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition.

I was longlisted in Holly Bush Emerging Woman Painter Prize 2022 in the Portraiture category. I was also shortlisted for Kate Bryan art prize in July 2021 and for Artrooms Awards in 2019. 

I am a member of Contemporary British Portrait Painters.

My works are also part of the global art collection of Standard Chartered Bank.

Through my works I have found a way to reconnect with my source, that being my Bulgarian heritage where I endeavour to explore Bulgarian culture; inviting the viewer to submerge into the limitless sea of mysteries, rituals and realities existing beyond the being everyday life.

This has acted as the catalyst for my interest in Balkan folklore and magic which often offers a glimpse into a cosmic realm which exceeds the limits of any visual language or the seemingly restricted nature of national identity. Through my works my ultimate goal is to transform and implement ideas from mythology, rituals and everyday practices, that are present in Bulgarian belief system and traditions.

However, these ideas reflect the inner world of our nation as part of a greater consciousness, that is universal to us all. Using traditional elements and objects from my heritage, decoding embroideries and psychedelic ceramics, I have formed a visual cluster of my ideas. And although the reference point in my works has Bulgarian origin the narrative and symbolism can and should be viewed and interpreted as not being representative of any specific culture.

The very essence of our world is woven out of symbols and embedded hidden patterns. Through my research and process, I have come to understand that, since Ancient times, there have been and remain, clusters of symbols and ideas that emerge in different cultures. The closest manifestation of these ideas has been through mythology and folklore, which is also reflected in the ceremonial and ritualistic nature of these practices.

I believe that is nothing random and everything is interconnected, so we can trace one thing to another through the invisible threads that weave the fabric of the world. As much as my works stem from a very specific cultural region, they relate to universal symbols and the most interesting part of this for me is how these are translated into our life and everyday objects

AWARDS :

2022 Longlisted for Holly Bush Emerging Painting Prize 
2021 Shortlisted for Kate Bryan art prize
2019 Highly commended at RSBA at Mall Galleries
2019 Shortlisted for Artrooms Awards 

SOLO SHOWS :

2022 Transitions, Morell House, London, UK
2021 The Source, Keep Contemporary Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, USA

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS :

2022 Supersonic Art, Into the October Country, Online group show
2022 Portrait X, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, USA
2021 W Taipei, Galerie OVO, Taipei, Taiwan
2021 Winter group exhibition – SCB new HQ, Galerie OVO, Taipei, Taiwan
2021 WOWxWOW “V Squared”, Online group show 
2021 WOWxWOW “Stardust Antennas”, Online group show 
2021 The Other Art Fair London 
2021 Spring Exhibition Group Show, Tom Cox Gallery 
2021 Create Magazine “Springing forward”, Virtual Group show 
2020 Southwark Park Galleries Annual exhibition 
2019 Creative Debuts International Womxn`s Day, London, UK 
2019 Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, UK 
2019 Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London, UK