Denitsa TODOROVA, 2023 Stone Lace 1 Stone Lace 1

Denitsa Todorova has developed an unusual drawing technique that she deploys on special wafer-thin paper, applying graphite to the entire sheet until it is completely covered in gray. In the next step, however, the artist takes the graphite away again in several places. The layers underneath are exposed by this deft removal of the upper strata, thus creating her composition. Her working method is reminiscent of the sgraffito technique, which originated in the Italian Renaissance and is now widespread in Eastern Europe. In “Stone Lace”, Todorova references the old Flemish lacemaking tradition, which flourished in sixteenth-century Bruges. There are two types of Bruges lace: a finer kind, usually consisting of floral patterns, and a coarser variety. The more delicate type, known as “duchesse lace”, is often chosen for dresses and veils, while the more robust variant is preferred for interior decorations. Denitsa Todorova draws inspiration from the typical pattern with elegantly curving leaves, long slender tendrils, and elaborate, open flowers, transposing these components into her drawings. Just as lacemaking calls for knowledge and dexterity, Todorova requires great attention to detail and precision to realize her delicate works on paper.

Denitsa Todorova (Plovdiv/BG 1984) studied at the New Bulgarian University in Sofia and at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp. In 2017 she won a STRABAG Artaward International Recognition Award.