Interview
Petya Zasheva
Petya is a stage designer. Before she began living in Malta, Petya worked at New Image Studios in Bulgaria as stage and costume designer. Since moving to Malta, she’s worked as an artistic developer of some very successful community projects.
Petya’s passion is children’s illustrations. Her artistic talent has been highly recognized in all the roles she’s played, including artistic director, resident artist, illustrator and book creator.
Petya has also participated in an artistic residency in Malta, and was recently working with Cospicua Support Learning Center on an art project.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My journey started during my childhood, growing up in a communistic country. I was a busy child with classes in puppet drama, art, craft and music - both at home and school. This was the first step. As a teenager, I applied to go to a professional art school, but my parents did not support my desire for an artistic career. They pushed me to pick a school with more useful professions, and keep art as a hobby instead. Things took a surprising turn when my parents agreed to let me study classical singing at university. Unfortunately, this did not last long. Then the first private university opened in Bulgaria, and I decided to stop my music education and rather study to become a stage designer.”
What inspires you?
“Everything. My daily life is very busy and loaded with different situations, people, and cities. Every situation and meeting create different feelings and emotions. These feelings and emotions can inspire a new color or technique which I use to recreate this specific moment. I love to observe, to create pictures that focus on specific little patterns, and to repeat them in my work. Nature, realism, mixed media, ethno-folk, and specific patterns from our culture and heritage. I like to have the pattern and research of its past and cultural meaning before I start to work.”
“I spent two months during lockdown going to my work space and working on a broken piece of gypsum board. When I had finished, I photographed it and showed it online. I called the piece ‘Sunbeams’. It was inspired by the nature around the little, sunny Maltese island with no one around to enjoy its beauty.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I have no specific themes that I follow. I love to work in the moment. I love looking at nature and life around us, so I guess my message is: Love what is around you and what keeps you going.”
How would you describe your work?
“As a Mediterranean based Balkan artist, my work is a mix of all my Balkan roots and the salt of the Mediterranean sea. An amalgamation of culture created from both spaces and merged together, creating an ethno mix.”
Which artists influence you most?
“I’m influenced by the Bulgarian 20th-century artist Maistora. His naïve realism always inspires me. There are many current day artists that inspire me too, such as Madalina Andronic, Olesia Dybovik and Pavel Klementiev.”
What is your creative process like?
“There are specific moments when I can work continuously, finishing my work in a very short time. And there are other times when the work takes me much longer. It’s never the same process.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“I’m an artist who works closely with some government bodies as one of the creative directors in certain art projects and festivals. Art has a very special role in society, one of which is preserving culture. Heritage passes all traditions from grandparents to young grandchildren, creating a future for societies of different art perspectives. It creates little places to be visible for all the world, presenting any kind of art—an open space for any international visualizations and cooperation, even new friendships. It’s really amazing how art can make differences in everyday life for every society. I've personally experienced this.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“Over the past 2 years, I’ve been lucky to have had 2 exhibitions. They really established me as an artist. I was just beginning to work towards the first one when the lockdown started.
The second one was last year in Croatia, in my new working space, and it was inspired by my Balkan roots. It reminded me that I can experiment with traditional patterns and mix them in a modern illustrative way. The idea was mixing very close traditions so that they don’t know each other. They have the same roots, but they were separated for many years. It was also inspired by my personal relationships, mixing my past and my future. To feel lost again in the Balkans and enjoy this different culture that is still so naïve and ancient.
My artistic journey has been exciting and some of my experiences are:
- 2017 Merhba Sengeana- Community Festival- Senglea assistant director and artist.
- Artistic Developer of the project My Cutie Ragdoll, with Cospicua support learning Centre, Gharbex Centre- present.
- A resident artist and Artistic Director in The Splendid, a Cultural Incubator Centre Valletta, Under the support of the Ministry of Culture Malta.
- Artistic Developer of the storytelling project Once Upon A Time, which starts at Alura art festival with the students at St Patrick Salesian School, Sliema, and currently is an independent project.
- Created and presented the artistic proposal for the Valletta 18 project Orfeus and Majnun. Researched and developed the art work with the communities of Centru Tbexbix and Senglea Primary School for same project.
- Ahna Refugjati Opera - assistant costume department.
- Art therapy in DV centers in Malta.
- Project creator and artistic director of Once Upon A Time Erasmus plus project with Isla Local Council.
- Artistic Director of Gozo representation on International Lace Festival, city of Lepoglava, Croatia.
- Artistic developer and artist in Artist residency between Malta, The Splendid, and Croatia BIZKoshnica art centers.
- Resident Artist in The Splendid and BIZkoshnica.
- Illustrator and book creator.
- BIZanimals - 12 Croatian animla - Zagreb. ”
All images are copyright of Manuela Tunjic.
Website: www.petiazasheva.com
Instagram: @petiazasheva
