Val Wecerka | Painting

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My journey in the world of art started at the National Art College in Sliven, Bulgaria, where I studied Textile. After 3 years of attending a Collage for fashion and design in Vienna I turned back to painting and graduated with praise -summa cum laude. This was followed by studies of Textiles in which I did continue to practice as a designer. At the same time (parallel to the abstract) countless figurative pictures were painted and tapestries, which I had woven, or knotted all by myself. Since 2013, I had completely dedicated my whole work to abstract painting. The theme my images are strongly influenced is the distance from family and friends. In the beginning there were a series of abstract images my, so called unwritten letters, which slowly dissolved into geometric shapes.
Rather than one single working style, my practice covers an entire spectrum of topics and forms, from figurative to abstract and ornamental, holding a keen interest in experimenting with different materials to express ideas.
I have been nominated two times for the well-known Austrian Strabag Art Award.
In 2016 and 2018 I was also longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize, United Kingdom.
and 2019 my work “ Image_2_Through the pink glasses “ has been selected to participate in the final round of Art Olympia Competition 2019 in Tokyo and It was exhibited in the The Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo / Japan.


Artist biography

My journey in the world of art started at the National Art College in Sliven, Bulgaria, where I studied Textile. After 3 years of attending a Collage for fashion and design in Vienna I turned back to painting and graduated with praise -summa cum laude. This was followed by studies of Textiles in which I did continue to practice as a designer. At the same time (parallel to the abstract) countless figurative pictures were painted and tapestries, which I had woven, or knotted all by myself. Since 2013, I had completely dedicated my whole work to abstract painting. The theme my images are strongly influenced is the distance from family and friends. In the beginning there were a series of abstract images my, so called unwritten letters, which slowly dissolved into geometric shapes.
Rather than one single working style, my practice covers an entire spectrum of topics and forms, from figurative to abstract and ornamental, holding a keen interest in experimenting with different materials to express ideas.
I have been nominated two times for the well-known Austrian Strabag Art Award.
In 2016 and 2018 I was also longlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize, United Kingdom.
and 2019 my work “ Image_2_Through the pink glasses “ has been selected to participate in the final round of Art Olympia Competition 2019 in Tokyo and It was exhibited in the The Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo / Japan.


"Possible geometry " _ "What is home?" 

The long way, 2015, acrylic, cardboard and paint on canvas, 150x200 cm

The long way, 2015, acrylic, cardboard and paint on canvas, 150x200 cm

What are the unconscious desires and longings that connect with Home? 

Is Home only for regressive wishes, or can other meanings be recognized?

Does homeland always refer to the "Lost" and how can it be artistically interpreted? Can Home be understood as an Inner Space? 

My work strongly deals about the distance from family and friends. In the beginning, there were a series of abstract images, so-called unwritten letters, which slowly dissolved into geometric shapes. Rather than one single working style, my practice covers an entire spectrum of topics and forms, from figurative to abstract and ornamental, holding a keen interest in experimenting with different materials to express ideas. "Possible geometry " and "What is home" is part of my main theme: (un)written letters. I wanted to capture some of my thoughts so I began to arrange them as a wall sculpture. First, the objects were flat, then I began to make experiments with material, form, and surface. I wanted something tangible, something that could be flat, and an object at the same time. In a sense, I wanted to hide them, I did not want to see them as clearly as thoughts that fade. After working with handwritten letters and fonts, I started using printed matter, which led me to the absolute abstraction, where I glued squares one by one, which are no longer readable. Letters become patterns. 

online Gallery ► https://www.saatchiart.com/valentinaw

Thoughts  IV, 2018, acrylic, lacquer and foam board on wood, 97x147x3 cm.jpg
Thoughts V, 2018, acrylic, lacquer and foam board on wood, 107x163x4cm.jpg
Poetry in blue and gray, 2019, acrylic, lacquer and foam board on canvas, 140x170 cm

Poetry in blue and gray, 2019, acrylic, lacquer and foam board on canvas, 140x170 cm

Infinite blue, 2018, gesso, cardboard, acrylic and spray on canvas, 150x200 cm.jpg

Infinite blue, 2018, gesso, cardboard, acrylic and spray on canvas, 150x200 cm.jpg


Awards 

2020 Nominated Phönix Art Prize, Tutzing/Germany

2019 Nominated Art Olympia, Tokyo/Japan

2018 Nominated Aesthetica Art Prize, York/United Kingdom

2016 Nominated Aesthetica Art Prize, York/United Kingdom

2013 Nominated Strabag-Art award, Vienna/Austria

2010 Nominated Strabag-Art award, Vienna/Austria

2001 Award by ministry of education, science and culture, for the excellent completion of studies, Vienna/Austria

1999 Scholarship, Ministry of Culture, Vienna/Austria

1999 Purchase of Vienna/Austria

1998 GROHE Art & Design Award, Vienna/Austria

1997 Award for tapestry project by the magazine Annabelle, Basel/Switzerland

1994 Eco-fashion-award, for a young fashion designer, Vienna/Austria