Simona Ruscheva
Simona Ruscheva is a contemporary figurative artist based in London, UK. Exploring a range of subjects drawn from Bulgarian folklore and heritage, she incorporates traditional elements and objects such as embroidery and folk costumes into her artwork. Ruscheva achieved her first UK solo show in London in 2022, followed by her inaugural international solo exhibition at Keep Contemporary Gallery in Santa Fe, USA, in 2021. Her participation extends to numerous national and international group shows, including the prestigious Royal Institute of British Artists Annual exhibition. Noteworthy accolades include being shortlisted for the Kate Bryan Art Prize in 2021 and the Artrooms Awards in 2019. Additionally, she earned longlist recognition in the Jacksons Painting Prize 2023 and the Holly Bush Emerging Woman Painter Prize 2022 in the Portraiture category. Ruscheva's works hold a place in the esteemed global art collection of Standard Chartered Bank.
Collect Bean: What does growth mean to you?
Simona Ruscheva: Growth is a spiral, extending upward and onwards. It has endless potential and no limitations. Growth is a constant transformation and adaptation of ourselves. We are seed gatherers, some we keep dormant, some we decide to sprout, and no matter which seed we choose, we can nurture it and grow it infinitely.
Collect Bean: Where are you currently finding inspiration?
Simona Ruscheva: Plant world. My main inspiration for a while has been Bulgarian folklore and culture, however, there has been a shift in where my interest goes, and I followed it. I have been slightly interested in herbology and how plants hold certain energy, particularly healing. But my interest has deepened, and I am now indulging myself in flowers and tree symbolism and their use in various rituals.
Collect Bean: What role does color play in your practice?
Simona Ruscheva: Usually I work in series and there is a certain palette that dictates the colors. I choose it quite intuitively and I find that it always corresponds to my psychological state at the time. Sometimes I even decide to completely change the work palette halfway, simply because I am personally not at that state anymore, and that reinstates my conversation with the work.
Collect Bean: How do you decide on the subject matter for a painting?
Simona Ruscheva: I make lots of notes, thumbnail sketches, and even voice notes when I have an idea. Then, I go through them regularly and see which one I am drawn most towards. And this is usually the idea I start developing. As mentioned, I normally work in series, so a whole body of work revolves around the same subject. Most times one work is simply not enough for the expression of the subject. It is like looking at an object from different points to grasp the whole of the object rather than just a fraction of it.
Collect Bean: How do you think your work has evolved?
Simona Ruscheva: I find that doing series and multiple works simultaneously is best for me. Once done, it feels like finishing a chapter. This gives me sort of a clean slate, to begin with afterward, and the beginning is always hard. Sometimes, I know what I am doing next while I am still working on the current series, sometimes not. In any case, there is a transition between both, a thread that connects them, even though they may look or feel differently. With that said, I think my work is becoming a lot more intuitive, less reference-based, and more feeling-based. And while that is the natural flow of the work, it is also a conscious decision to be in this way.
