{"id":7,"date":"2013-11-05T10:15:40","date_gmt":"2013-11-05T10:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nia.watertowerartfest.com\/?page_id=7"},"modified":"2024-01-16T15:29:17","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T13:29:17","slug":"bio","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nia.watertowerartfest.com\/?page_id=7","title":{"rendered":"CV"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

E-mail : <\/strong>niapush@yahoo.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Nia Pushkarova
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I was born in Sofia and then moved to study art in Trojan college of art and ceramics after grade 8th<\/sup> as I wasn\u2019t accepted in National Art Gymnasium after grade 7th<\/sup>. The competition was fierce and as I recall from my frail childlike memories and little to none life experience, it was a doomed effort to try and get in the roll of competitors who came from family background of being artists or high-level state administrators, the so-called echelons. We were so used to have those ones benefiting through the \u201cties\u201d as we called it, during the communism that it was like predestined faith waiting for me along with the first disappointment from raised hopes and expectations. Nevertheless, I did study in art gymnasium hence I was drawing and painting all my life, and its true I did not choose to study ceramics and in that particular small town away form Sofia my parents and friends \u2013 but that was the only alternative at that time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I graduated with maximum score on drawing exam and was almost certain I was going to be accepted in the National Academy of Arts, but destiny had different plans for me. I didn\u2019t get accepted 2 years in a roll and then was when the revolution happened in 1989 and the fall of Berlin wall and my father amongst other professionals involved into the democratic party. Soon after he became Minister of Economics in the first as we know it democratic elections, what followed was that I got accepted in the Academy of Arts but simultaneously I got accepted in Art Department of University of Reading, UK as well. So, I went!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The culture shock and adjustments I had to do in order to fast forward learning process of the past 45 years of Western European history of arts, took place in the suburban area of the industrial city of Reading from 1991 to 1995.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I did not understand a lot at the beginning, not the language, not the culture not what my professors were trying to tell me, until a moment when I did. And then was the prophetic moment of truth that I realized I can work also as mediator between the two worlds I knew, once I was accepted by the guardians of culture of Great Britain and let to understand the mighty language of Shakespeare. I wasn\u2019t studying painting or drawing, there was no traditional art education as I knew it. It was the rise of conceptualism and Damian Hirst and YBA was about to change the course of modern art history. So, I adapted and started making videos and installations as well as drawings and paintings. I even got awarded by the Art Department Head at the time with Kodak award for outstanding achievements upon my graduation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then I got back to Sofia, full of hopes and dreams\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026\u2026!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It wasn\u2019t easy, I tell ya! To find people that actually stayed and were worth spending time with! To make sly maneuvers from the vast gap of what I\u2019ve just learned and that same reason to mediated between the two worlds, again! No, it wasn\u2019t easy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So, after a few futile efforts to show some of my ideas and do art as well as find a way to survive on my own it took time, but I got strength and faith enough to organize something that was not going to censure me and I will also present my art along with give opportunity for other people to get to exhibit and be seen in the society. I initiated the Water tower art fest in 2006 until 2016!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now I am still being neglected by the circles, but I am not so bothered as I was when I first came back to Bulgaria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be continued!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u00a9Nia Pushkarova<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n