Gergana Tabakova


Gergana Tabakova (b. 1992) is a visual artist based in Sofia, Bulgaria. She holds an MA and PhD in Painting from the National Academy of Arts, Sofia, where she is currently an assistant professor in the Textile – Art and Design Department. Her work explores the relationship between painting and spatial structures, using surface, texture, and color as core elements. Moving beyond the traditional canvas, she incorporates architectural and cultural references to examine how material forms carry meaning and memory, highlighting their potential as carriers of both visual and conceptual information.

Her recent solo exhibitions include Not Very Ordered (2024) and Seas and Swamps (2022), Sofia; Beachy Point of View (2021) in Varna, among others. She has also participated in a range of significant group exhibitions and collaborative projects, such as VOLUME (2023–2024) with Kalia Kalacheva, presented in Varna, Sofia and Plovdiv. In 2024, her work was featured in Back to Earth in Plovdiv, All Is Not Well in Sofia, National exhibition Staichki in Blagoevgrad, and Comfortable Confrontation in Sevlievo. Other recent exhibitions include Eleven and Let’s Take a Look in Sofia (2023), and international projects such as the Image Generator Festival in Sofia and the anniversary exhibition of the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Berlin (2022).


Shifting Horizons.Felt, thread, bead, wood.500 x 600 x 300 cm.2025
The installation "Shifting Horizons" evokes the transformative journey of textiles as they traverse time, space, and culture. It explores the deep-rooted relationship between textiles and human culture, values, and lifestyles throughout history. By featuring enlarged textile objects, it engages with museum collections to recontextualize these artifacts as cultural, artistic, and functional symbols that transcend both time and geography. The textile pieces are reflecting significant moments in human history and lifestyle. These monumental, abstracted forms are inspired by textiles from diverse regions and time periods. Examples include aprons from Asia, the Balkans, and South America; fabric samplers from Africa, Europe, and the Americas; and iconic contemporary designs by global fashion designers, juxtaposed with ordinary piles of clothing. Badges, hats, bags, purses, patches, threads, and remnants of majestic carpets and tapestries — traces of objects whose forms evolve but never disappear — resonate together in the installation. Textiles are viewed here as time capsules, carriers of human stories, cultural shifts, and societal values. From medieval tapestries depicting religious narratives to Andean textiles used for trade and storytelling, textiles reflect not only aesthetic value but also political, religious, and social dynamics. The installation draws from various sources: everyday objects, ritual items, and those imbued with magical power — each reflecting human beliefs and worldviews. By enlarging these textile-inspired sculptures, the installation enhances their cultural significance and invites visitors to rethink ordinary personal items, reflecting on their deeper cultural meaning and their place in a shared cultural narrative.
Photo source of the works: Provided by the artist
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