NEVER ROBERTA Painting exhibition Tekla Aleksieva and Iskra Blagoeva 01.06 – 25.06.2022 The exhibition NEVER ROBERTA brings together two women artists — Tekla Aleksieva and Iskra Blagoeva. Each belongs to a different generation; the age difference between them is considerable. They are known to different audiences and have worked within different socio-cultural contexts. Tekla Aleksieva is best known for her cover illustrations for the Galaktika science-fiction book series. Iskra Blagoeva is especially popular among younger audiences and is an artist with a strong presence in Bulgarian contemporary art. The encounter between their painting is an encounter between two different generations, two eras. Yet this is not a chance meeting. A network of invisible threads links the work of the two artists, bringing their artistic language closer. At first glance, what unites them is their shared relationship to reality and the re-creation of that reality in their works. A compelling realism is clearly present in the painting of both. It has different dimensions. At times it is simply a matter of building volume and form. At other times it involves unexpected elements from everyday life and the world around us, carefully selected, composed, and re-created with immense attention to detail. Combining the painting of the two artists in one exhibition opens up possibilities for intriguing comparisons and reveals shared directions. It is precisely in the juxtaposition that Iskra’s art appears so classically inflected, while Tekla’s sounds so contemporary. Themes and images that have preoccupied both come into focus: the self-portrait, the femme fatale, the cat, the everyday… The exhibition includes works created on different occasions—works behind each of which stands a distinct story. Some of the works are entirely unfamiliar; others have been shown in numerous exhibitions. One painting, namely “Judith,” was created by Iskra Blagoeva especially for the present project. This work gathers within itself the best of the artist’s style and outlines a broad perimeter of themes that interest her — the idea of the self-image, biblical references, violence, domination, roles in society, and interiors in the style of “New Objectivity.” This “New Objectivity” also appears distinctly in the work of Tekla Aleksieva. The work “Journey” (1989) was created at the turning point of a shift between two socio-political systems, marking changes unfolding in her life; viewed today, about 30 years after its creation, this work continues to resonate with the contemporary sound of its artistic language, reminding us that everything new is well-forgotten old. The style of both artists — each with a pronounced individuality — flows in the exhibition from photorealism in the depiction of the everyday, gathered into a back seat in Tekla’s work, toward a transcendence in the cool incarnation of the figures in Iskra’s work. I believe that the juxtaposition of artists from different generations and their presentation in a shared exhibition offers a path for engaging reflection. The present project reminds us that the pendulum of the drive to re-create reality swings evenly, measuring transitions and generations. Dr. Lyuben Domozetski, curator
