Stefania Andreev (b. 2002) creates vibrant and gestural figurative paintings tightly contained and cropped within the borders of the canvas as if life itself has been pressed against a glass and framed. Through the serendipitous quality of watercolor and the instinctual touch of her hand, she explores the psychological self as it moves through time, both manipulated by the individual and chance. Her paintings sit between order and chaos, small and intimate, yet in the studio they become arenas for a duet between accident and artistry.
Artist Statement
My investigation of paint is inseparable from the exploration of the self. As pigment pools, resists, and settles according to its own material logic, it reveals a process in which control is never absolute. The resulting surfaces embody the tension between authorship and autonomy, suggesting that identity, like the paintings themselves, emerges through an ongoing duet between individual action and chance. The intimate scale encourages closeness, both physically and psychologically. Using my hands and fingers to wipe, touch, and smudge the painted surface, I leave behind gestures that serve as records of an evolving dialogue between the self and serendipity.
Mini Interview
What is the central theme or concept behind your current body of work?
I’ve been focusing on the self for many years now but currently I’m exploring self and serendipity as it relates to painting. The painting represents the self as I am both working with intention from a reference photo but also allowing for happy accidents through exploration in water based media. The self is formed through individual intention and environmental chance just like a painting.
How do you hope your work resonates with or impacts your viewers?
I hope the viewer can come to my work and view it as not only a formal composition but to also imbue it with their own emotion and or story. As an introvert I think I’m hoping for a human connection beyond words or formal greetings.
Can you share a pivotal moment that has shaped your artistic journey?
Recently I found a new material, a specific type of slick artist panel, and it’s really opened my work up. I’ve been looking for a surface that mimics oil monotypes on plexiglass and since finding this material my paintings have had a new pivotal sense of breath and freedom.
What advice would you offer to emerging artists navigating today’s art world?
I’m still emerging myself but I like to remind myself and other artists that rejection is part of the process. Not everyone will like your work and you need to go where you are wanted and welcomed.
Are there any upcoming projects or exhibitions you would like to share with our readers?
I am excited to be a featured artist in the Arts to Hearts Magazine issue 14 so look out for digital and physical copies! I’ll be sharing more of my work and opportunities on my Instagram @steshyyy.
