Traditional Craft Meets Modern Art in Bulgaria

Buffaloes and Lace, a unique exhibition blending fine art with traditional lacework, is now open at the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies with Ethnographic Museum at BAS in Sofia, Bulgaria. The exhibit is part of the 21st OIDFA World Lace Congress, which will be held for the first time in Bulgaria this August, hosted by the municipality of Karlovo, CE Report quotes BTA

Curated by Assoc. Prof. Iva Kyurkchieva, the exhibition runs through September 3 and features five paintings by artist Evgeni Serafimov alongside five lace interpretations by Bistra Pisancheva. Her work uses the intricate shuttle lace technique, also known as Kalofer lace, to recreate Serafimov's striking images of buffaloes.

Weekend demonstrations of the lace technique are planned throughout July and August. Kyurkchieva emphasized that the event aims to show how traditional crafts can find relevance in modern art and global conversations.

Serafimov, a renowned Bulgarian artist and teacher, is known for his mixed-media work combining cement, glue, paper, and pigments. Pisancheva, a longtime collaborator with the Sedyankata studio, is internationally recognized for her efforts to modernize and promote shuttle lace. She holds a doctorate on the social and cultural dimensions of lace-making.

This exhibition offers international lacemakers attending the Congress another opportunity to engage with Bulgaria’s lace heritage in a contemporary context.