Statement/CV

Ivilina Kouneva’s work is based on events and places which have emotionally marked her journey. They express the fragility and the search for safety in a complex environment of forking paths and colourful narratives. Kouneva is interested in the endurance of the image on different surfaces  – from luxury and fine, to disused, dismissed and abandoned. With major interest in painting, in her recent body of work, she has rather been looking to “record” and experience the process than to settle for the finished product.

Kouneva takes on wide range of legends, works of Art and books, using themes and pin up images, stored in our collective memory. She aims to create fresh stories with contemporary meaning.

CV

Born in Gabrovo, Bulgaria

Lives and works in the Southeast of  England.

MA Fine Arts -Painting, Fine Arts faculty, Fine arts Teacher, ”St.St Cyril and Methodius”, University of Veliko Turnovo, Bulgaria

a-n Artists Bursary 2022-2023 (a-n The artists Publishing company)

THE WHITE PUBE CREATIVES GRANT APRIL’23 SUPPORTED BY CREATIVE DEBUTS

Awarded Certificate of Competence –  ABC project for visual artists,galleries and culturAL POLICIES,EXECUTED BY stoep AND SPONSORED BY matra,tHE NetherlandS

founder of Dear Darling by the sea compaign, in collaboration with Wayfinderwoman Trust Charity, Eastbourne, /february-march,2022/ 

Solo and two- person exhibitions (2010 –  )

FRAGILE BALANCES, YOUNIQUE WELLBEING STUDIOS PROJECT SPACE, BEXHILL-on-SEA,/ SOLO,FEBRUARY<MARCH,2023/

EDen revisited @onetotengallery, Member of the Guild of micro galleries, Instagram /SOLO, October, 2022/ 

AGP Center of The Arts, Toronto islands, Toronto, Canada – оpen studio event /SOLO,July,2022/

Every Story Tells a Story / 2018, August-September/,571 Oxford RD. Gallery, OHOS,Reading, with Sharon Haward

Paintings and works on paper /SOLO, 2015, March -April/ Fleet Gallery, St.Leonards-on-sea, E.Sussex,UK

Faces Places Spaces /SOLO, 2013,June/ More Arts, Wokingham, Berkshire, UK

Different /2012, June/ – Art-house galerie & Kunstforum, Thun, Switzerland, with Pia ShlIeppi

The Crusade -In-between Realities- /2011, March/- Museum House of Humour and Satire, Bulgaria, feat. Teodora Nitsolova

Selected group projects and open competitions (2010-)

Regenerate,Volt Gallery, Blue Monkey creative network, Eastbourne, /upcoming July, 2024/

CosmoScope, Torriano Meeting House, 99 Torriano Ave,London /March, 2024/

upSCAle, Progect78 Gallery, St Leonards-on-sea, in collaboration with @onetotengallery /February, 2024/

Winter Exhibition, Rogue Gallery, St Leonards-on-sea /December 23′ -January 24’/

CONDITION CRITICAL, MEMBERS’EXHIBITION,FIVE SEVEN ONE GALLERY, OHOS, READING, (MAY, 2023)

Open plan Summer studios exhibition, towner gallery, eastbourne, /august,2022/

inspirational women, ‘a space art, The God’s Tower, Southhamton, /march, 2022/

Transitions – /2020/ – Espacio Gallery, London

The Great Leveller – /2020/ – virtual, Sweet’Art, London

Hastings Open – /2022, 2020/ – Hastings Museum&Art Gallery, shortlisted

Women:inspiring quotes & artistic responses- /2020/ – selected with text and artwork

Quotes: inspirational quotations/creative responses – /2019/ – writing and painting

Chameleon: Contemporary Colour Exhibition – /2019/ – Serface Gallery, Nottingham, UK

Rituals and Rites – /2018/- Artcore Art Gallery, Derby, England

Imago – /2018/- The Brock Keep, OHOS, Reading, England

Painting Open – /2017/ – Noformat Gallery, London

Abundant Muted Unrefined – /2017/ – Hundred Years Gallery, London

Talented Art Fair – /2017/ – Elly’s Yard, Bricklane, London

Fire&Water- /2016,May/ – OHOS members open studio’s exhibition, Reading

Perspectives of the figurative-/2016, May/-5th Base Gallery, Heneage St, London

Transitions -/2016,April/ – Menier Gallery, Southwark, London

In-between Out there & Beyond – /2015,July/ – final exhibition of Soto Voce arts festival, England

New grounds-/ 2014, May -September /-REME Museum of Technology, Arborfield, Berkshire

Test Pieces -/ 2014, April/, The Keep, OHOS, Reading, linked with New Grounds exhibition

The Yellow Suitcase Exhibition –/2013, October/, Reading 

Outlook Changeable – /2013, May/- OpenSpace, The Keep, Reading

INSIGHT 2013 – /2013, May/-  New Greenham Arts, Newbury,UK

Constanta, Romania-/2012, December/ – exchange project

Group exhibition at the Swiss council -/2011/ Sofia, Bulgaria 

INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL OF HUMOUR AND SATIRE IN THE ARTS -/2011,May/ Bulgaria

Residencies 

Open plan studios, Towner Gallery, /August, 2022/

Val David Writers and Artists Residency, Val david , quebec, Canada, /july, 2022/

Artscape Gibraltar Point center of the arts – Toronto islands,Toronto, Canada, /June-July, 2022/

The modern inhabitant – queens park,glasgow, self-initiated, /october,2020/

Sotto Voce Arts festival – /2015, July/- cultural exchange South EastEngland- South East of Italy,  Hastings,England

Different -/2012, May-June/ – cultural exchange Switzerland -Bulgaria, Thun, Switzerland

Borderless -/2011, September/ – Arts near the border foundation,Switzerland- Bulgaria, Surnino, Bulgaria

Selected shows and projects 

2006 – ‘Eden–Adam and Eve ‘- /Solo exhibition/ ,House of Humour and Satire, Gabrovo

2004 – ‘The things we never say’-/Solo exhibition/,House of Humour and Satire, Gabrovo.

2001 – ‘Fragile balances’- /Solo exhibition/, Matea Art Gallery, Veliko Tarnovo.

2000 – “The towers”-/Solo exhibition/ -Stalbata Art Gallery, Sofia.

1997 – 2011 –INTERNATIONAL BIENNIAL OF HUMOUR AND SATIRE IN THE ARTS /IBHSA/ Gabrovo; Painting and Drawing categories.

2000 – 2011– Annual National Art Teachers’ exhibition, Veliko Turnovo.

2004 – Balkan Quadrennial of Painting- “Myths and Legends of my People”, St.Zagora, Bulgaria

2004 – Exhibition at Sofia Art Gallery, Sofia (Completion of ABC Project for Visual Artists).

2003 – National exhibition Water techniques, Shipka 6 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria.

2003 – National Exhibition Drawings and small sculptures, Shipka 6 Gallery, Sofia

2000- The towers – solo show – “Stalbata” Gallery, Sofia,Bulgaria

Awards and recognitions

The best visual artist in the region – awarded in 2001 and 2011 , Bulgaria, the region of Gabrovo

Selected for the Saatchi Art  online curated collection “One of a kind”

2013, October and March, 2018

Collections

Open Society Foundation, Gabrovo branch, Bulgaria

Council of Switzerland, Sofia,Bulgaria

Museum House of Humour and Satire, Gabrovo, Bulgaria

Art Delft Gallery, Delft, The Netherlands

Fleet Gallery, St. Leonard -on-sea, England

Art near the border foundation, Switzerland-Bulgaria