My work as a fashion designer and artist is a combination of two approaches - that of classic fashion design, which pays attention to the construction, to the clothing in the unexpected combination of materials, the specificity of the accessories, the overall image and the approach to the emphasized sculptural form of the clothing. They could not be worn at all times and at all places. Through the composition and dynamics in the silhouettes, the defiles are more than just a display of utilitarian objects. For me, they become a spatial and temporal unfolding of structures and materials, creating the feeling of a sculpture exhibition "going for a walk" (Lachezar Boyadzhiev). The leading principle is the play and use of various elements in the garment, of forms and signs from different social and cultural spaces, applied through a new harmonious-disharmonic design approach. Fashion is used as a modern phenomenon and is a territory, above all, for artistic activity.
"I place the author's emphasis on the particular functionality of the COMMERCIAL FASHION IMAGE or the so-called popular "FASHION MARKER". In this sense, I use performance and installation both as media, but also as an experimental field AND for CONTEMPORARY AUTHOR CLOTHING"
I think of myself as a fashion designer who doesn't care about fashion. I believe that clothes should not only be consumed. The aesthetics of the market's dominant trend or function are not the only necessary condition. I use the clothes as a basis for artistic provocations, turning the fashion show into a performance and the models into objects.
Education:
2007 - Doctor of Art History and Fine Arts, National Academy of Arts, Sofia
1992 - Academy of Architecture, Design and Arts, Prague, Czech Republic
Selected solo projects:
2024 - I look and I am, installation-performance in two hours, Structura Gallery, Sofia
2023 - Spring/Summer - Autumn/Winter 3, Dechko Uzunov House Museum, Kazanlak, curator: Yara Bubnova
- La belle Rose + 2023, Rose Museum, Kazanlak (in partnership with Alexandra Petrova)
2022 - Unaccidental Presence, Art Gallery, Kazanlak, curator: Maria Vasileva
- Non-accidental presence 2, Minoár Creative Store, Sofia
2021 - A dream, Structura Gallery, Sofia, curator: Maria Vasileva
- Seven weeks in Paris (portrait of Mariela Gemisheva from Paris), house-museum Nenko Balkanski, Kazanlak (in partnership with Ivana Kalvacheva)
2019 - "Spring/Summer - Autumn/Winter" 2, exhibition - fashion installation, Contemporary space, Varna
2018 - Fashion objects in the colors of the rose, site-specific installation, Museum of the Rose, Kazanlak
2017 - Self-portrait, Credo Bonum gallery, Sofia, curator: Iara Bubnova
2016 - Big real sewing, fashion performance, village of Gorna Bela Rechka within GOATMILK festival (in collaboration with Mariyana Asenova)
2015 - Fish Party 3, Contemporary Space, Varna
- Guns and Roses Oil, Edition 2, Shipkoff (Rosehip) House, Kazanlak
- Interior Accessories of Feminine Gender, One Design Week, Plovdiv
2013 - A New Boudoir by Mariela Gemisheva 2013, Yuzina Art Gallery, Sofia
- Multy-me 2, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA
2012 - Multi-Me, photo installation and performance, Czech Centre, Sofia
2011 - Guns and Roses Oil, Ogms Gallery at ICA, Sofia
- Project 11, Gallery 11th August, Sofia
2010 - My Favorite Boudoir, Sariev Gallery, Plovdiv
2009 - Old Fashion Fashion (The Story of a Private Wardrobe), fashion performance, Sfumato Theater Laboratory, Sofia
2008 - Self-portrait, photo and video installation, Czech Centre, Sofia, curator: Iara Bubnova
2007 - Spider House, art fashion performance in MAK, Wine, Curator: Jasmin Ladenhoufen
2006 - Theatrical girls, аrt fashion performance and photo installation, The Red House, Sofia
2004 - Go East!, Gas Art Gallery, Torino, Italy
- Spider House, art fashion performance, National Academy of Art, Sofia
2005 - Art Fashion seminar “Kleiderkunst”, Goethe-Institut, Sofia
- Mariela Gemisheva for ROCA Fashion, art fashion performance in National Institute and Museum of Archaeology, Sofia
2004 - Fish Party, performance, ATA Center for Contemporary Art Gallery / ICA – Sofia
- “Go East!”, Gas Art Gallery, Torino, Italy
2003 - “Fashion Fire”, performance, “Fire and Emergency Safety”, Sofia, with the special participation of Edmond Demirdjian – percussion
2002 - “Out of Myself”, photo and video installation, Sofia City Art Gallery, curator: Iara Boubnova
2001 - “Out of Season… Out of Fashion”, catalogue presentation, Czech Centre, Sofia
2000 - “Spring – Summer, Autumn – Winter”, ATA Center for Contemporary Art Gallery / ICA, Sofia, curator: Iara Boubnova
- “Surprise”, fashion show, Czech Centre, Sofia
1999 - “Out of Season. In Search of New Felinity”, fashion show - matinee, Central Market Hall, Sofia
1998 - “My Wedding Dress on the Roof”, fashion show-performance on the roof of 6 Shipka St.
- Gallery of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, Sofia
1997 - “Dessert”, experimental fashion show with the special participation of Edmond Demirdjian – electronic percussion, Sofia City Art Gallery
1996 - “Experiment 2”, experimental fashion show, XXL Gallery, Sofia
- “Photo - Fashion in three days”, Ata-Ray Gallery, Sofia
Selected group participations:
2024 - Women’s Re/-Evolution. A Change of Roles, Sofia City Art Gallery - Vaska Emanuilova, curator: Galina Dimitrova
2023 - Text "Collection of women" as part of SIS project, Doza Gallery, Sofia, curator: Snezhana Krusteva
- A Few Ways To Win The World, Doza Gallery, Sofia, curators: Dessislava Dimova & Vera Mlechevska
- The Brick 2023, Re-Bonkers, Varna, curator: Hristina Bobokova
- The Dream, Kazanlak Art Gallery, curator: Plamen Petrov
2022 - The Great Real Sewing, together with the Institute of Contemporary Art, Sofia, Manifesta 14, Pristina
- Dangerous Beauty, Center for Contemporary Art and Library, Burgas, curator: Stefan Stoyanov
2021 - White, ONE gallery, Sofia (by the invitation of Iskra Blagoeva)
2020 - 25 years of ICA and 5 themes later, National Art Gallery, Sofia, curators: Martina Yordanova, Kalin Serapionov, Pravdolyub Ivanov
- The Tree of Life. Genealogies of Bulgarian contemporary art, ONE gallery, Sofia, curator Gergana Mudova
2019 - Notes and footnotes, Open art fondation, Kapana gallery, Plovdiv, curator: Vera Mlechevska
2017 - SEX APPEAL, Sexist exhibition, One Night Stand gallery, curators: Ivana Nencheva, Daniela Radeva and Stefka Tsaneva
– 120th Anniversary of the National Academy of Art, 6 Shipka St. Gallery of UBA, Sofia
2016 - “Let them Draw”, Sariev Gallery, Plovdiv, curator Pravdoliub Ivanov
2014 - “Dress up”, ICA – Sofia “International Women's Day”. Art Works from the Collection of Slava Nakovska and Nedko Solakov, curator Iara Boubnova, ICA- Sofia
2013 - “The Other Eye Project: Gorgons in the Storage Room, or, Apocalypse Now“, Sofia City Art Gallery, Sofia, curators: Ani Vaseva, Boryana Rossa, Monika Vakarelova
2012 - Sofia Queer Forum, curators: Boryana Rossa and Stanimir Panayotov
2011 - “After the Flight”, ICA, Sofia, curator Iara Boubnova
2010 - “Aquarium”, Alma Mater Gallery, Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, curator: Maria Vassileva
2009 - “From Ideology to Economy“, State Central Museum of Contemporary History of Russia, Moscow, curators Iara Boubnova, Maria Vassileva
- ”Flowers and Roses”, Bulgarian Institute of Culture, Hamburg, curator: Maria Vassileva
- “Techniques”, ICA, Sofia, Curators Iara Boubnova, Maria Vasileva
2007 - Passion for Art: 35 Years Essl Collection, Vienna
2006 - “Neither a White Cube, nor a Black Box. History in Present Tense”, exhibition of the Institute of Contemporary Art – Sofia, Sofia City Art Gallery, curators Iara Boubnova, Maria Vassileva
- “Reflections Multiplied”, Sofia City Art Gallery, curator: Maria Vassileva
2005 - “Altre Lilith”, Frascati, Rome, curators Rosetta Gozzini, Gabriella Serusi, Scuderie Aldobrandini per L’Arte, Frascati
- “Play Sofia”, Kunsthalle Wien, project space Karlsplatz, Vienna, curator: Hedwig Saxenhuber
- 46th October Art Salon: Art That Works / Catch Me, Belgrade Cultural Center, Serbia and Montenegro, Curators Darka Radosavljević, Nebojša Vilić
2004 - Privatizations. Contemporary Art from Eastern Europe (The Post-communist Condition). Within Luchezar Boyadjiev's “Freedom (is) for beginners”, Kunstwerke – Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, curator: Boris Groys
- “The Balkans: a Crossroad to the Future”, Arte Fiera, Bologna, Italy
- “The Ideal”, Week of Contemporary art, Plovdiv, Banja Starinna, curators: Nadia Genova, Emil Mirazchiev
2003 - “Balkan Visions”, Ar/ge Kunst Galerie Museum, Bolzano, Italy, curator: Eda Chufer
-“Blood & Honey/Future’s in the Balkans”, The Essl Collections, Vienna
2002 - “In Search of Balkania”, Neue Galerie, Graz, Austria, Curators Roger Conover, Eda Chufer, Peter Weibel
1999 - “Modebus >time scan 1<”, Vorplatz MQ, Vienna, Curator Ursula Graf
1997 - “Erato’s Version”, Gallery of UBA "Shipka 6", Sofia, curators Iara Boubnova, Maria Vassileva
Specializations:
2019 – Art residency, Cite international des arts, Paris
2013 - Art Program, ArtsLink at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA 2009
– Art Program of the Goethe Institute, Berlin 2008
– Art program of Pro Helvetia, F+F Schule fur kunst und Mediendezign, Zurich 2007
– Art program, AiR program (MQ) Wien 1990 – Interior design in the studio of architect Borek Shipek, Amsterdam
Awards:
2017 - “Golden Needle ’98”, Award for Design of the Bulgarian Fashion Academy
2008 - Short list 2008, Gaudenz Ruf Award
- Nominated for Woman of the Year, Grazia Magazine, Attica Media, Bulgaria
1998 - “Golden Needle ’98”, Award for Experimental Fashion of the Bulgarian Fashion Academy
1997 - Award of “24 Carats”, National TV Fashion Award
1996 - “Golden Needle ’96”, Award for Avant-garde Fashion of the Academy of Bulgarian fashion
Special projects:
2019 - "Invisible beauty" fashion performance together with "I can do it myself" foundation, Ivan Vazov National Theater (presentation of clothes for disadvantaged people) 2016 - 2018, Fashion Week, Sofia: AW 2016, SS 2017, AW 2018
2005 - 2018, special guest at the Assembly Design Festival, Graz, Austri
2009 - Costume designer for SALOME, opera in one act by Richard Strauss, based on the play of Oskar Wilde, Sofia National Opera and Ballet, Co-production with Central and East-European Music Theatre Association
1999 – Prototype designer with a project “My Wedding Dress on the Roof” for “Sandglass”, a filom production of the Bulgarian National Television and the “Bu-Ru Film” production hause under director Georgi Diulgerov
Creative meadiator:
2024 - Dialogue in white 2024, fashion project of fashion design major, National Academy of Arts, Sofia, Goethe-Institut gallery, Sofia
- Nevo's bedroom +, 2024, solo exhibition of Nevelin Ivanov, contemporary art forum BUNA, Varna, curator: Andreya Gandeva
- Nevo's bedroom, 2024, solo exhibition by Nevelyn Ivanov, Little Bird Place gallery, Sofia, curator: Andreya Gandeva
2023 - If I had a pig, I would name it Nevo, solo exhibition by Nevelin Ivanov, Little Bird Place gallery, Sofia, curator: Lyuben Domozetski
2022 - Proportion of sound, solo exhibition of Nikolay Bozhilov, ONE gallery
2020 - Action 20/2020, fashion performance of the Fashion Department, National Academy of Arts, Sofia, Czech Center, Sofia
2018 - Installation in White, solo exhibition by Teodora Spasova , Czech Center, Sofia
