Bowen

Being late. Françoise Hardy. Foggy ferry ride. Rain. More Françoise Hardy. Being lost. Cozy cabin. Friends and wine. Walks in the rain. Muddy gum boots. Exhausted and rosy.

Street Bear

My friend R. has been bugging me about this. He wanted to see the photo of the little innocent girl on the dead bear next to the shriveled donkey all part of the Bulgarian street attractions for kids in the 1980's. All I can remember of this is my mom making me choose between the bear and the donkey and me choosing the bear because it is furry. Once I was on him, the fur came off in my hands.

Put Your Slippers On, You Are Going to Catch a Cold

This project is about my grandmother Mara’s assimilation into Canadian life while very much remaining Bulgarian. Coming to Canada at an elderly age, she managed to create a community in her new adopted land despite not speaking the language and having very different cultural references. She has always found ways to connect with people, whether is through food, laughter or caring for others. We had a great time working together. I would paint the abstract watercolor drawings and she would write on them in her old fashioned handwriting in pen and ink. The words came from her, pure and most of them hard to translate into English. Similarly to Julia Warhol, who never really understood her son’s work but fully supported him through unconditional love, my grandmother has always tried to understand me in this foreign world of art, performance, and language that I exist in. The digital drawings were created by scanning the many notes my grandmother leaves behind when she visits my apartment. They are everywhere, in my fridge covering a dessert she brought, on the kitchen table, sometimes in my drawers.

Put Your Slippers on, You are Going to Catch a Cold is a project about dialogue, family and communication beyond language.

Biliana Velkova and Mara Duylgerova 2007

Put Your Slippers on, You are Going to Catch a Cold

It has been a very busy season! You are cordially invited to
"Put Your Slippers On, You Are Going to Catch a Cold". This is a
collaboration project with my grandmother Mara, which I had a great
time working with. Hope you can join us between 5 and 7pm on Friday,
September 21st at the East Vancouver Cultural Centre 1895 Venables St.
Afterparty will take place on the Drive. Location TBA.

Excitement and Fear

I am overwhelmed with excitement and fear for tomorrow's performance. I got some good old trusted chianti to calm my nerves. I don't need to be overwhelmed by complicated flavours either. Excitement and fear is enough. Oh, and here is some more writing on the exhibition (in Bulgarian).

Give me an "H"

I know it is probably a long way but I wanted to cordially invite you
to Homecoming. I want to thank the cheerleading squad from St. Cyril
and Methodius school in Plovidiv, Bulgaria and their director Galia
Angelova for their gracious participation. Performance starts at 7pm
on Saturday, September 15 at the Center for Contemporary Art (at the
Ancient Bath) in Plovdiv.

Last days of summer (after Warhol)

The market below my apartment sells coca cola in the old classic bottles. I am not a soda fan but I do like to get them from time to time and especially when they go with my outfit.

Putzka 1991-2007

She always had her own agenda, my mom worried she didn't make friends with other cats easily and loved to chase elastics. Rest in peace, dearest Putzka! Maria, Lia and Biliana

Imperfections

I like listening to Glenn Gould's humming as he plays. Apparently his record company hated it and tried to clean up his sessions but to no avail. Well, it is a big stretch from Bach but I got a small recording of the cheerleaders, which I am working with, for a performance in Plovidv shot on a cell phone with no sound. There is something really romantically nostalgic in the way they move and the scratches in the recording make it look like super8 film.
PS. In in the theme of imperfections, I couldn't upload the little scratchy video, so I settled for a photo of a square dancing crinoline caught in the afternoon sunlight.