Wisdom, silk/glass/copper wire, 45 x 50 x 50cmA new exhibition currently on at the Cavalieri Art Hotel in St Julian’s features the diverse work of Bulgarian artist Andriana Marinova.
Marinova (1961) reveals pieces that are delicate, elegant, feminine, magical and poetically mystical in her retrospective Woven Emotions, representative of a 30-year career.
The exhibition is an unusual collection of classical woven tapestry, textile sculptures and jewellery.
A graduate of the National Academy of Arts of Sofia with a major in textile, Marinova’s homeland has a millenary art history seeped in local folklore with a grand tradition in woven carpets and elements of national costume.
In her experimentation, the artist’s work develops from the traditional hanging mural to three-dimensional sculptural pieces. She consolidates a unifying concept of tapestry transformed into a sculptural expression and demonstrates an almost inconceivable use of macramé applied to metal, wood and glass without losing the legibility of the traditional use of woven silk and wool.
In the Reeds, metal, 30 x 30 x 50cmHer work incorporates sacred symbols, biblical and scriptural images, plant motifs and medieval murals.
She also finds inspiration in zoomorphic motifs that reveal thorough knowledge of anatomy and movement of birds, fish and insects in an original aesthetic manner.
■ Woven Emotions is running until November 1 at the Monet Gallery of the Cavalieri Art Hotel in St Julian’s.