Ivilina Kouneva shifts shapes and colours jigsaw puzzle-like, relying on her full devotion to the process of making. She rearranges and repurposes stories “that somebody else has already told,” searching for relevance between the Mythic and the Modern. Many of these narratives trace the path of a resilient female – the heroine’s journey – braving her way through a multilayered, delicately balanced world.

Kouneva enjoys reshaping scraps from her older work and applies a similar approach to other artists’ discarded creations. This reflects her curiosity to experience the creative impulses of others through making. She sees it as a sign of continuity, a vivid proof of the longevity of an artistic idea and the many ways it can be transformed.

Drawing on legends, works of art, and literature, as well as pin-up images stored in our collective memory, Kouneva aims to create fresh stories with contemporary meaning.

IVILINA KOUNEVA

Bulgarian-born, South East Sussex-based artist

Education

MA Fine Arts – Painting
Faculty of Fine Arts, St. St. Cyril and Methodius University of Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Qualified Fine Arts Teacher

Awards and Recognition

2022–2023 a-n Artists Bursary, a-n The Artists Information Company
2023 The Creative Debut Grant (Apr), selected by The White Pube
Certificate of Competence, ABC Project for Visual Artists, Galleries and Cultural Policies executed by STOEP and sponsored by MATRA, The Netherlands
2001 and 2011 Annual Prize of the Municipality of Gabrovo, Best Artist Award, Gabrovo, Bulgaria
2022 Founder of “Dear Darling by the Sea” Campaign – collaboration with WayfinderWoman Trust Charity, Eastbourne, UK (Feb–Mar)

Solo and Duo Shows

2024 For Rituals and Visuals, South Porch Artists Residency, Summerville, SC, US, closing exhibition, with poet Jaclyn Piudik (Duo, Jun)
2023 Fragile Balances, Younique Wellbeing Studios Project Space, Bexhill-on-Sea, UK (Solo, Feb–Mar)
2022 Eden Revisited, One to Ten Gallery (@onetotengallery), Guild of Micro Galleries, Instagram (Solo, Oct)
2022 AGP Centre of the Arts, Canada Open Studio Event, Toronto Islands, Toronto, Canada (Solo, Jul)
2018 Every Story Tells a Story, with Sharon Haward, Five Seven One Gallery OHOS, Reading, UK (Duo, Aug–Sep)
2015 Paintings and Works on Paper, Fleet Gallery, St Leonards-on-Sea, UK (Solo, Mar–Apr)
2013 Faces Places Spaces, More Arts, Wokingham, Berkshire, UK (Solo, Jun)
2012 Different, Art-House Galerie & Kunstforum, with Pia Shlieppi, Thun, Switzerland (Duo, Jun)
2011 The Crusade – In-Between Realities, Museum House of Humour and Satire, Gabrovo, Bulgaria, feat. Teodora Nitsolova, Bulgaria (Duo, Mar)
2006 Eden, Museum House of Humour and Satire, Gabrovo, Bulgaria (Solo, Mar)
2002 Fragile Balances, Museum House of Humour and Satire, Gabrovo, Bulgaria (Mar)
2000 The Towers, Stalbata (The Stairs) Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria

Group Shows and Open Competitions

2025 100/50 Exhibition, Unit 1 Gallery/Workshop, London, UK (Jun–Jul)
2025 Cloud of Witnesses, St John’s Church Waterloo, London, UK (Mar–Apr)
2025 Project78 Gallery 10th Year Anniversary, St Leonards-on-Sea, UK (Jan)

2024 Beep Painting Biennial, Elysium Gallery, record cover Exhibition, UK (Nov–Dec)
2024 Up, Across and Along, Five Seven One Gallery, OHOS, Reading, UK (Sep)
2024 We Are Family, Electric Studio Project Space, St Leonards, UK (Aug)
2024 Regenerate, Volt Gallery, Blue Monkey Creative Network, Eastbourne, UK (Jul)
2024 CosmoScope, Torriano Meeting House, London, UK (Mar)
2024 UpSCAlE, Project78 Gallery, St Leonards-on-Sea, with @onetotengallery, St Leonards-on-Sea, UK (Feb)

2023–2024 Winter Exhibition, Rogue Gallery, St Leonards-on-Sea, UK (Dec–Jan)
2023 Condition Critical, Members’ Exhibition, Five Seven One Gallery, OHOS, Reading, UK (May)
2022 Open Plan Summer Studios Exhibition, Towner Gallery, Eastbourne, UK (Aug)
2022 Inspirational Women, ‘a space’ arts, God’s Tower, Southampton, UK (Mar)

2020 Transitions, Espacio Gallery, London, UK
2020 The Great Leveller (Virtual), Sweet’Art, London, UK
2019 Chameleon: Contemporary Colour Exhibition, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, UK

2018 Rituals and Rites, Artcore Gallery, Derby, UK
2018 Imago, The Brock Keep, Five Seven One Gallery, OHOS, Reading, UK
2017 Painting Open, No Format Gallery, London, UK
2017 As It Stands: Unrefined, Muted, Abandoned, Hundred Years Gallery, London, UK
2017 Talented Art Fair, Ely’s Yard, Brick Lane, London, UK
2016 Fire & Water, OHOS Open Studios, Reading, UK (May)
2016 Perspectives of the Figurative, 5th Base Gallery, London, UK (May)
2016 Transitions, Menier Gallery, Southwark, UK (Apr)
2015 In-Between Out There & Beyond, Sotto Voce Arts Festival, Hastings, UK (Jul)
2014 New Grounds, REME Museum of Technology, Arborfield, UK (May–Sep)
2014 Test Pieces, The Keep, Five Seven One Gallery, OHOS, Reading, UK (Apr)
2013 The Yellow Suitcase, Reading, UK (Oct)
2013 Outlook Changeable, The Keep, Reading, UK (May)
2013 INSIGHT 2013, New Greenham Arts, Newbury, UK (May)

Selected Earlier Exhibitions (2012–2000)

2012 Constanta, Exchange Project, Romania (Dec)
2011 Group Exhibition, Swiss Council, Sofia, Bulgaria
1997–2011 International Biennial of Humour and Satire in the Arts, Gabrovo, Bulgaria
2004 Balkan Quadrennial of Painting – “Myths and Legends of My People”, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
2004 National Exhibition, Water Technics, Shipka 6 Gallery, Union of Bulgarian Artists, HQ, Sofia, Bulgaria
2004 National Exhibition, Drawings and Small Sculptures, Shipka 6 Gallery, Union of Bulgarian Artists, HQ, Sofia, Bulgaria

Residencies

2024 South Porch Artists Residency, Summerville, SC, USA (Jun)
2022 Open Plan Studios, Towner Gallery, Eastbourne, UK (Aug)
2022 Val David Writers and Artists Residency, Val-David, Québec, Canada (Jul)
2022 Artscape Gibraltar Point Centre of the Arts, Toronto Islands, Toronto, Canada (Jun–Jul)
2020 The Modern Inhabitant, Queens Park, Glasgow, Scotland (Self-initiated, Oct)
2015 Sotto Voce Arts Festival, Hastings, UK (Jul)
2012 Different, Cultural Exchange Switzerland–Bulgaria, Thun, Switzerland (May–Jun)
2011 Borderless, Arts Near the Border Foundation, Switzerland–Bulgaria (Sep)

Collections

Open Society Foundation, Gabrovo Branch, Bulgaria
Council of Switzerland, Sofia, Bulgaria
Museum House of Humour and Satire, Gabrovo, Bulgaria
Art Delft Gallery, Delft, Netherlands
Fleet Gallery, St Leonards-on-Sea, UK
Art Near the Border Foundation, Switzerland–Bulgaria

PUBLICATIONS

2025 Cloud of Witnesses exhibition catalogue, February
2024 Beep Painting Biennial exhibition catalogue, November
2024 Elegies et autres poèmes, cover illustration, Flavia Cosma & Éditions du Cygne, Paris
2022 D’une humeur à l’autre, cover illustration, Flavia Cosma & Éditions du Cygne, Paris
2020 Women: Inspiring Quotes & Artistic Responses, text and visual work, p.88, UK
2019 Quotes: Inspirational Quotations / Creative Responses, N10, Writing and Painting, UK
2018 Cover Page, Exhibitions and Events Programme, OpenHand OpenSpace, April–Sept
2017 Lemon Art Presents: Talented Art Fair Artists, p.27
2015 What’s On Magazine, East Sussex – Paintings and Works on Paper, p.17
2014 REME Museum of Technology presents artists from OHOS and arjeea21, p.21
2012 Unterschiede, die verbinden, Irina Eftimie, Pia Schlappi & Ivilina Kouneva, Thun Press