Iva Gueorguieva is an artist who challenges conventional surfaces and the contrast between the actual and the synthetic through her multimedia experiments. She employs collage techniques to physically and conceptually disrupt artistic "terrain," creating immersive painting environments and complex relief paintings that enhance the experience of embodiment and connection with others.
Her project titled "Intersection" explores the significance of "touch" as a means of restoring embodiment for both individuals and communities. It consists of two main elements: Firstly, her “Stretched-linen Paintings” feature densely layered relief textures that simultaneously reveal and obscure underlying depths. Knotted gauze adds a tactile dimension reminiscent of scars or stitches. Gueorguieva uses both cut and drawn lines in sumi ink to disrupt the surface and suggest the human form, with works grouped as “Seascapes,” “Snowscapes,” and “Kukeri” symbolizing her personal journey.
Secondly, these elements intermix, investigating the dynamics between creation and destruction, the balance of order and chaos, and the interplay of intention and intuition—expressed and experienced through tactile engagement. Gueorguieva’s practice echoes the Kukeri tradition of fostering renewal and the pioneering work of artists like Lucio Fontana and Juan Miró, who push the boundaries between art-making and critique.
“Intersection” represents Gueorguieva’s artistic rebellion against a world in crisis, addressing the overproduction of images and the erosion of tangible space and human connection. It critiques the environmental and social devastations wrought by modern civilization and seeks to subvert the status quo, advocating for a renewed appreciation of tactile experience and human touch as affirmations of life amidst global crises.
Gueorguieva said about this piece: “Moth is painted on both sides and collaged with painted gauze. I used the wooden end of an old brush to scratch the back of the muslin, picking up pigment from the layer of wet gauze beneath. The marks have an eerie, interrupted quality due to the unevenness of the 'record.' They fall between a painted mark and a drawn one. I view these marks as records of the interaction between the movement of my arm, driven by habit and intention, and the stoic 'thereness' of the surface.”