Meet Bojidara Ionova | Enamel Artist and Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bojidara Ionova and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bojidara, why did you pursue a creative career?
Art is a universe of possibilities enabling self-expression in countless ways. Viewing life through the prism of shapes, colours and details, I can create a beautiful world through the talent I believe I possess. My path was probably mapped out before I was born. Raised by artists – my grandmother is an actress, my mom a singer, and my dad, a third generation artist – art has become not merely a mode of entertainment and expression, but a way of being.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In 2016 I graduated Graphics from the National High School of Fine Arts, Sofia. In hindsight, my schooling provided a solid foundation of knowledge and a skillset that has fostered my artistic growth. Beyond high school, I had clarity in what to invest my energies in, and continued my education at the National Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, in “Poster and Visual Communication”, where I had the opportunity to meet, interact and be taught by prominent artists who have helped me discover a mature artistic identity. Moreover, my father and grandfather, who are successful graphic designers in Bulgaria, have been significant sources of guidance for me. In learning the theoretical and practical fundamentals of Graphic Design, I have acquired applicable, contemporary skills. A few years ago, my grandfather introduced me to enamel art. It was love at first sight and pretty quickly I knew that was what I wanted to pursue. Creating enamels is as much an art as it is a craft. The road from visualising the enamel to actually bringing it to life is long and difficult. First, I create an illustration of the enamel, which is where my formal training and experience as a graphic designer comes to play. Then, I have to shape the different parts of the artwork out of copper. The copper pieces are then processed in a special way. The next stage is applying the enamel, which comes in a powder form, to the copper. Finally, the copper pieces are assembled and heated in a special furnace up to 950 degrees celcius. The high temperature melts the enamel and transforms the original colour, which is in some ways the biggest difficulty of this art. One could say that the enamel has a character and a life of its own. The material goes into the furnace in one shape and colour and comes out in another, which is often unpredictable. The fact that the material undergoes a physical change of state in the process of creation adds another layer of complexity and difficulty to the art. You imagine and illustrate one thing in the beginning, but it takes a long process of trial and error, a series of failures and a long road of building up experience with the material in order to predict how exactly to shape, apply the enamel, control the temperature and etc. so that the piece of art comes out as you wish. The beauty of the enamel is that in some ways, you never truly control the outcome 100% and each piece is unique. I continue to struggle and learn every day. It took months of failure before I managed to produce an enamel that even resembled the illustration I initially pictured. I am proud to say that after 3 years of practice, I have come to the point where I have a true understanding of the artistic process and can now successfully shape my ideas and style. I hope to be a worthy heir to my grandfather’s craft, but also to elevate and modernize it in some ways through my own artistic prism.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I was born and raised in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, which was once part of the Soviet Union. Sofia’s charm and beauty is rooted in the collision of the different parts of the city’s history: from the Viennese architecture that dates back to the monarchy, to the brutalistic Soviet buildings and monuments to its modern contemporary spirit. When a friend is visiting, surely the center of Sofia is a must-see: not the tourist places, but the small streets, where, in my opinion, you can feel the true spirit of the city and are full with small shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. Then we will take the car for a thirty minute drive to immerse ourselves in nature.Sofia is located at the foot of Vitosha mountain, which is one of the treasures of the city. On the way home we will stop to eat tripe soup, shopska salad, moussaka and drink a few rakijas, a traditional fruit spirit popular in the Balkans. Our day will end by diving into the diverse nightlife of Sofia.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
When it comes to my career and path in art, I am mostly thankful to my grandfather, who has been a major source of inspiration, a teacher and a role model throughout my life. A child of a painter himself, my grandfather is one of the earliest poster artists in Bulgaria. Apart from that, my grandfather is one of the few enamel artists in the world. I will always be grateful to him for introducing me to the world of enamel, teaching me his secrets, so that I strive to continue what he started.

Instagram: bo.jidara / iono.enamel

Image Credits
Gabriela Aleksova