Elisabeta Tzvetkova, Behind the cover ItaliaImballaggio 11-12/2024

Elisabeta Tzvetkova TVB was born in Bulgaria. She has lived and worked in Monza since 2000; in 2002 she graduated at the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan. She works in the fields of textile design, illustrations for children’s books and art education. She’s taken part in various collective and exhibitions. In 2019 she presented her personal exhibition at the MAC Museum of Modern Art in Lissone with the title “Ama, prega, ricama” (Love, pray, embroider).

After exploring different artistic languages, for her more recent works the artist has turned to the technique of embroidery, which links the artist to her origins. The painstaking work, with time-consuming and repeated gestures, contrasts with the frenzy and continuous acceleration of life today.

The use of fabrics and simple natural fabrics and materials is at odds with pervasive digitalisation in every sphere of our daily lives. Her art is a profound reflection on social themes and the human condition, particularly that of women.

Fragility, relationships, the multiple aspects of the role of women and their nature are the fundamental areas of exploration in her work.

The technique of embroidering images with needle and thread echoes one of the occupations that women traditionally dedicated themselves to in the past; the images are instead representations of contemporary life. This is the fundamental contrast that characterises the art of Elisabeta Tzvetkova: slow, calm, silent, peaceful art, without making judgements, stitch after stitch.