1981, lives and works at London, UK

Stefania Batoeva (b. 1981 Sofia, Bulgaria) studied sculpture at The Royal College of Art, London (2014) and Architecture at the Architectural Association, London (2007). She has also taught Painting at The Slade School of Fine Art, London, since 2017. Solo exhibitions include Marc Chagall at All Welcome, London (2019); Devoted Iota Elusion at Emalin, London (2017); Total Devotion at Almanac, Turin (2017); Winterheart at Ermes-Ermes, Vienna (2017).

Painting is central to Batoeva’s expansive practice. Her creative search draws from autobiographical events and her diverse expertise, alongside a longstanding interest in subcultures, music, literature, psychoanalysis and philosophy. Her paintings are expressive, mysterious, and emotionally charged. Their recurring motifs and the various dimensions they depict can be interpreted and re-interpreted. However, the viewer will always be left with a sense of wonder – intentionally instilled by the artist. Batoeva’s works, which are all compositionally different from one another, have a perplexing unifying quality that ties them together. The mystifying aura they emanate is palpable, and leave the viewer yearning for answers and information on the artist. In interviews, Stefania Batoeva has alluded to the fact that her paintings contain elements of self-portraiture. However, it is made evident that Batoeva capitalises on the idea of the uncategorizable.

In many of her works, there are overriding, heavy lines spanning from the background to the foreground, which seems to depict a simultaneous events and emotion. Once we can let go of our need for a crystal clear story, we can truly appreciate the complexities and beauty of Stefania Batoeva’s paintings. The nebulous answers are in the cracks, left unkempt by the artist.

Batoeva’s works are multi-faceted and contain many layers (both literal through the brushstrokes and layering of frames and metaphorical through the feelings they evoke). Her ability to create this relationship between her work, herself and the viewer is remarkable. She has found the sweet spot between leaving her viewers with a sense of connection, and with a desire for more.