Description
‘Golden Apple’ by Simona Ruscheva
Artist: Simona Ruscheva
Title: ‘Golden Apple’
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 24″ x 18″
Framing: Unframed
Year of Creation: 2022
Artwork Will Ship From: UK
About the Artwork:
“This work is inspired by the Bulgarian folk tale of the Golden apple. In the tale there is a tree that bestows only ONE golden apple each year, which is then stolen by a dragon.
The apple is a very complex and multifaceted symbol, widely recognised as a representation of the Garden of Eden and the symbol of knowledge. In Bulgarian mythology it is mainly considered a symbol of fertility in all forms. The apple being of solid gold transfers us into the mystical land of where regular objects from our life are transformed into magical ones. One of the interpretations of the golden apple is immortality. When we combine all of those we come to a very powerful symbol of the pure creative force, which is interchangeable with the heart.
The palette also reflects the idea of gold with yellow and green hues, radiating outward from the apple source.” – Simona Ruscheva
About the Artist:
(Artist Bio)
My name is Simona Ruscheva. I graduated Fine Art Painting in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria. I am currently living and working in London, UK.
I had my first international solo show “The source” at Keep Contemporary Gallery in Santa Fe, USA in 2021.
I have also participated in various international group shows and across London, including Royal Institute of British Artists Annual exhibition, where my work was Highly Commended by the De Laszlo Foundation, and Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition.
I was longlisted in Holly Bush Emerging Woman Painter Prize 2022 in the Portraiture category. I was also shortlisted for Kate Bryan art prize in July 2021 and for Artrooms Awards in 2019.
My works are also part of the global art collection of Standard Chartered Bank.
(Artist Statement)
Through my works I have found a way to reconnect with my source, that being my Bulgarian heritage where I endeavour to explore Bulgarian culture; inviting the viewer to submerge into the limitless sea of mysteries, rituals and realities existing beyond the being everyday life.
This has acted as the catalyst for my interest in Balkan folklore and magic which often offers a glimpse into a cosmic realm which exceeds the limits of any visual language or the seemingly restricted nature of national identity. Through my works my ultimate goal is to transform and implement ideas from mythology, rituals and everyday practices, that are present in Bulgarian belief system and traditions.
However, these ideas reflect the inner world of our nation as part of a greater consciousness, that is universal to us all. Using traditional elements and objects from my heritage, decoding embroideries and psychedelic ceramics, I have formed a visual cluster of my ideas. And although the reference point in
my works has Bulgarian origin the narrative and symbolism can and should be viewed and interpreted as not being representative of any specific culture.
The very essence of our world is woven out of symbols and embedded hidden patterns. Through my research and process, I have come to understand that, since Ancient times, there have been and remain, clusters of symbols and ideas that emerge in different cultures. The closest manifestation of these ideas has been through mythology and folklore, which is also reflected in the ceremonial and ritualistic nature of these practices.
I believe that is nothing random and everything is interconnected, so we can trace one thing to another through the invisible threads that weave the fabric of the world. As much as my works stem from a very specific cultural region, they relate to universal symbols and the most interesting part of this for me is how these are translated into our life and everyday objects