In brief
From November 3 to 21, Sofia’s Serdica Gallery hosted Valka Parusheva’s exhibition “Layers,” featuring 26 textile‑based abstracts. The pieces reveal the artist’s technique of arranging micro‑threads that appear pixel‑like up close but form translucent color fields from a distance, aiming to evoke the layered nature of human consciousness. Parusheva, a seasoned textile artist, highlights warmth and aesthetic purity in the display.
From November 3 to November 21, the Serdica Gallery in Sofia opened its doors to Valka Parusheva’s new exhibition, called Layers; the 26 textile‑based abstract works collectively explore how the accumulation of layers in human consciousness shapes perception of the world. Parusheva, a Bulgarian artist born in 1969 in Sliven, is a graduate of the Dimitar Dobrovich School of Applied Arts, where she studied artistic textiles in 1988, and she has since worked in contemporary art, textiles and graphic design, gaining recognition across national and international venues.
The exhibition’s core technique involves a specific textile fabric in which each thread functions like a pixel when viewed close up; from a distance, those threads coalesce into translucent fields of color that gradually blend along geometric lines and shapes. Parusheva remarks that she would like the show to “convey a sense of warm human presence and offer a purely aesthetic experience.” This dual focus on minimalism and compositional complexity is a hallmark of her recent practice.
Technique and Materials
Each piece in the exhibition was created over the past two years, using micro‑textile threads woven into small, almost imperceptible units. When described up close, the individual threads appear as distinct, pixel‑like points that collectively contribute to a larger visual narrative. From afar, the cumulative effect produces a soft, translucent color field that seems to shift as viewers move, echoing the layered layers of memory and emotion that often underlie conscious experience.
Parusheva deliberately balances geometric forms with a restrained color palette. The artist’s statement emphasizes the desire to evoke a “warm human presence” while maintaining a focus on purely aesthetic qualities, indicating that the exhibition is both introspective and accessible to a broad audience.
The integration of textile mass with geometric lines reflects Parusheva’s ongoing exploration of texture and form. While the individual threads carry a minimalist clarity, the assembly of them into a layered composition demonstrates a strategic complexity that invites viewers to investigate the interplay between element and whole—mirroring how consciousness accumulates experiences over time.
Parusheva’s long career has been punctuated by numerous honors. In 2026 she received the UBA award in the textile art section of the Grass and Water National Exhibition, and an accolade at the Dissonances National Exhibition, along with earlier awards for unconventional forms at the Sirak Skitnik National Exhibition in 2024, and an award as an artist from the host city of Sliven in 2018. She also participated in a 2016 residency at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris, further expanding her artistic perspective and techniques.
The artist has showcased her work nationally, participating in group events since 1991 and presenting seven solo shows across Bulgaria. Her works have entered the collections of the Union of Bulgarian Artists, as well as galleries in Sliven, Yambol and Ruse. Private collections both within the country and abroad also feature her textile experiments.
Overall, the exhibition stands as a testament to how material precision, color theory, and thoughtful composition can transcend conventional boundaries of abstract art to embody the very nature of human thought and feeling—offering visitors a tranquil, layered aesthetic experience that invites introspection on the periphery of consciousness.
