Presented by the Center for East European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies; Department of Art History; Department of Slavic Languages & Literatures; Department of Visual Arts; the Reva & David Logan Center for the Arts, and UChicago Arts.
Emotional Heritage explores the relationship between identity and ancestral memory through Bulgarian family traditions passed down through the generations. Will this relationship survive, or will it disappear in the hectic everyday life?
“I connect the past, distance worlds of my cultural heritage to the present by associating memories of lines, shapes and symbols into collages of handmade laces or embroidery. This state of searching is an unconscious urge of my spirit to return to the primary beginning, provoked by the symbolic imagery of a recalled memory. Artists can guide viewers through these pictures into hidden cultural layers of the past to discover a new connection with the present.
I am inspired by the rituals and forms from ancient times, especially symbols found within their embroidery and crafts. They carry energetic vibrations of creativity and impermanence and give a semantic code to the world that surrounds us. I disassemble those embroideries and then collage painted forms into new structures with pixels, changing the purpose of the craft. There is freedom in the endless combinations of colors and shapes.
Through continued exploration, I focus attention on these repetitive, embroidered patterns, and the relationship between this new visual language and musical or poetic rhythms. Collaborating with music makes the idea more dynamic and integrated.”
Kina Bagovska is a Bulgarian-born artist, educator, and lecturer who has exhibited nationally and internationally in solo and group exhibitions. She received her MFA from National Academy of Arts in Lodz, Poland. She has won numerous awards in Europe and the United States, including several grants from the Illinois Arts Council. Her works have been shown at ARC Gallery, Chicago; Kiron Gallery, Paris; Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago; the Bulgarian Embassy, Washington DC; Bulgarian Consulate, New York; National Museum-Earth and Men, Sofia; Field Museum, Chicago; Patriothall Gallery, Edinburgh, UK; and Couvent d’Auzits, Aveyron, France, where she was an artist in residence. One of her paintings was also part of Mark di Suvero’s Piece Tower at the Chicago Cultural Center and her panel “Creation” is on permanent display at the Ridgewood High School in Norridge. Bagovska is also a member of the Chicago-based interdisciplinary critique group Dialogue Chicago, and is an affiliate with ARC Gallery, Chicago. She has lived in Chicago since 2000.
www.KinaBagovska.com
Blagomira Lipari is a versatile solo, chamber, and orchestral musician. Most recently, she was awarded the “Ivan Vazov” Bulgarian national medal for her significant contribution to Bulgarian art and culture around the world and Exceptional Prix from the International Chamber Music Competition in Neerpelt, Belgium. Mrs. Lipari has been a soloist with the National Academy of Music Orchestra in Bulgaria, Shumen Philharmonic, Orfei Chamber Orchestra, and New Millennium Orchestra in Chicago. Her performances have been featured on Bulgarian, Spanish, South Korean, and US National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, WCNY-FM 91.3 Syracuse, NY, and WFMT in Chicago. As a chamber musician, Mrs. Lipari serves on the executive board of National Music & Global Culture Society in New York City. She has also served as co-chair and violinist of Bulgarian Concert Evenings of New York, Bulgarian Classical Concerts-Los Angeles, and has been a member of Access Contemporary Music Ensemble, CUBE ensemble, and the Society for New Music. Lipari has given many world premieres at prestigious venues such as the Getty Museum, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Symphony Center Chicago, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, Pritzker Pavilion, Harris Theater, and Paris Conservatory. She has collaborated with members of Chicago Symphony, Metropolitan Opera, International Chamber Players, and International Contemporary Ensemble. A devoted and passionate teacher, Mrs. Lipari is on the faculties of Hollywood Academy of Music and Arts, Arabesque Conservatory, and Vibe Performing Arts in Los Angeles. She has been a violin professor and music ensemble director at Sherwood-Columbia College in Chicago, and Hobart William Smith Colleges, NY. Mrs. Lipari holds a Doctoral degree in violin performance with a minor in orchestral conducting.