Interview with Zina Nedelcheva – Bulgarian Symbols

As we already announced in our previous blog post, our new merchandise line – Bulgarian Symbols is finally here! It is our Association’s first souvenir collection. The concept was to involve 5 young and talented Bulgarian artists to create an illustration in an attempt to show their vision of Bulgarian symbols. Today, we would like to introduce you to our first illustrator – Zina Nedelcheva.

Our first illustrator – Zina Nedelcheva

Zina Nedelcheva

Zina Nedelcheva is from Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In her illustration, Zina chose to portray Bulgaria as one big house. Underground cellars, the oh-so-unusual Klek Shops, the balconies, our graffiti culture and many more symbols of Bulgaria adorn the building.

Zina’s design on a black T-Shirt

A few days ago we sat down with Zina and talked to her about her style of work and her participation in the “Bulgarian Symbols” project.

The Interview

Describe yourself using only 5 words!

A shy, naive dreamer with a lot of wishes left to fulfill.

What is your main focus at the moment?

I am preparing a new production of a limited series of clothes, accessories and a little bit of jewelry, together with a collection of little bunny dolls with a curious look. Apart from that I am also trying to fulfill the wishes of my little princess daughter, who is interested in all the fascinating, new things around her.

Which is your color/colors?

Recently I feel attracted to blue… I associate it with the sea, with all things pure, with the summer sky and the warm breeze coming from the shore. Some things that I definitely miss and can’t wait to see again.

If you could pick a project to work for with a specific topic, which topic would that be?

A topic connected to nature and how we could solve the problems that people are causing.

Who are the 3 people that have inspired you lately? How do they inspire you?

My little princess has been my biggest inspiration for almost a year and a half now. The way she looks at everything with interest and curiosity and the way she smiles in such a pure and honest way. Everything about her inspires me.

I am also motivated by people who set a specific goal, have the desire to achieve that goal and work hard to accomplish it. This also makes me work harder and do my best to achieve something more, something I can be proud of.

What did you want to show with this project?

I wanted to show a little bit more from the everyday life of a person, who lives here in Bulgaria. To show that there is peace, tranquility, but also a lot of fun. There are friends you can pleasantly spend your time with and certain places where you can do that. There are views, there is art, there is architecture from different ages, and there is culture, which is constantly evolving. So many things can be seen and experienced.

Did you learn anything new during your work for this project? What?

I reassured myself that I feel good living here, I thought about the places which I tried to illustrate and at some point I really felt like I wanted to be at all of them at the same time.

How would you advertise Bulgaria to someone, who has never been here?

I would advertise through the things I have included in this design and more. Bulgaria has a story and culture, interesting people with character. The country has a lot to show and can leave a lot in the heart of a person, who came here to see something different and learn something more.

Zina’s design on a white T-Shirt

You can see more from Zina at:

Facebook: Zinaarts

Instagram: @zinaarts

T-Shirts with Zina’s design can now be exclusively purchased at Gifted Sofia – 24 Ivan Denkoglou Str.