BASICLYGEN is a weekly column focused on the worldwide generation of graduates and creatives and their COVID-19 self evolution. From fashion to lifestyle, BASICLYGEN represents a lighthouse in the dark and a symbol of hope for our 2021.
What is your story?, what do you do…?
I’m a Bulgarian journalist/painter. My story began when I moved to London to study journalism at the University of Westminster. Moving from a relatively small country like Bulgaria, to the UK and especially London, where something is always happening somewhere, was a huge change for me. Luckily, it was a very exciting and inspiring change, not just a change in location but with time, a change in who I am as well. I won’t say that there weren’t low points about moving but fortunately, I only remember the good stuff. One of the first things that I had to get used to about living in London was spending a lot of time on the tube. In my case that was a good thing because I would start to notice all the flyers and posters that promoted art events like gallery openings and exhibitions and it surely sparked my curiosity. I’ve always liked art, but I have never been really invested in it until that moment. So I decided to explore all the galleries, museums and street art districts in London. It was the best thing to do really, because in my first year of university I didn’t know a lot of people, and it was kind of the thing to do in my free time. And that was the moment for me when I realised it was something I wanted to be a part of. I remember going to the Saatchi Gallery one time and as I was going through the different halls, looking at the pieces I kept thinking “Maybe I can do something like that”. And from that moment I just started painting and kept going really.
My style of painting is abstract expressionism, I do abstract portraits and usually, they represent different states of the human mind or just emotions and things that are happening on the inside while people are going through something.
How has COVID-19 penalised or helped your creative process ? (Or music creation, fashion sense, work, photography, lifestyle..?)
I usually sell my paintings online, so the COVID situation hasn’t impacted this part of the process. I even noticed that during the pandemic when people have to spend so much time at home, they turn to art more often. I can even say my art has attracted more interest during the pandemic than before that. And I think this is very important to acknowledge because it just shows how meaningful art and every form of art is. And in such troubled times in which we are now facing art is something that I feel makes things better.
In terms of the creative process, it had a really negative impact. I couldn’t paint for weeks, because I felt kind of stuck. I am usually a very active person, I get bored very easily, I like to go out, meet people, see things, learn new things because this is how I get inspired. So when I couldn’t do the things I would normally do, I just couldn’t find the creative energy to paint. Happily, I have already adjusted myself to the current situation and I spend a lot of time reading, listening to music and browsing trough online art. A big inspiration for me right now is watching documentaries about great painters like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francis Bacon. Bacon is actually my biggest inspiration right now. I 100% relate to his philosophy about painting and I really like his words “If I can talk about it why paint?”. This really sums up what painting is for me.
What do you think are the best ways to keep up with the fashion trends Nowadays ?
When it comes to fashion, I can’t say I’m a fashionkiller myself, but I like to keep up with the trends. For example, I really embraced the phase with the mini bags which I think all of us went through, as well as the bucket hats, I really love them. To keep up with the trends, I entirely count on social media. I follow some celebrities, mainly musicians like Young Thug for example who I believe is the ultimate fashion icon and this is how I get my inspiration because choosing what to wear is also a creative process.
How do you see yourself in the future? / what are your hopes, your aims?
In the future I see myself doing what I like, painting and writing but on a larger scale. I’m also filled with huge expectations towards myself because I believe I am yet to create my best work. I guess my dream is to create art that gives people an insight into their human nature in a way they have never seen or realised before. I believe there are so many things that we are all going through and that makes us the same, but we don’t really talk about them. This is what I hope my art will do one day – provoke a conversation and make people feel closer.
Show us 5 of your favorite songs
Literally any song by Young Thug
Juice WRLD – Righteous
Kanye West – Devil in a New Dress
Travis Scott – 16 chapels
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