YCGILY / exhibition by Nikola Donchev Title

27/10/2025

YCGILY

The project “YCGILY” aims to showcase the freedom of art in today’s world and to disregard some of the boundaries we often impose on ourselves.

Classical techniques are something without which it’s difficult for an artist to develop. For me, they are a foundation that I can use in combination with contemporary ideas, materials, and methods. I have interests in various directions of art, which is why I’ve set myself this challenge—one that holds difficulties along the way, but at the same time keeps me interested and eager to discover new things.

The project consists of three parts:

• The first part represents classical printmaking, created using etching techniques for intaglio printing and presented through three human bodies (each 70/100 cm), which in themselves can express the ideas of submission, struggle, and enlightenment. This is a trajectory of movement that I see in the mindset of an artist. I begin with the classical technique because, despite the goal of YCGILY, this foundation is just as beautiful and profound as the more experimental methods that follow.• The second part consists of 6 self-portraits printed on T-shirts, which I have sewn myself (each 70/85 cm). This is a transitional part, as I combine linocut with fabric and tailoring—something that isn’t always seen as art.
The T-shirts are crumpled, unevenly cut in places, and appear thrown and glued down, because that is the sensation a T-shirt conveys in everyday life. I’ve tried to transform this into an artwork placed in a frame, rather than a piece of clothing meant to be worn.• The third part features three hats/masks, sewn by me and placed on pedestals made of wood and wire. This part is entirely opposite to the first in terms of materials, but that doesn’t prevent it from carrying a similar concept.
These three hats are also not meant to be worn in daily life. They are a product I wanted to transform into an artwork meant to be perceived visually (in this case, as sculpture).

This project is challenging because it’s easy to stray from the core idea or from purely aesthetic representation. I’ve tried to make the boundary between printmaking, sculpture, sewing, and drawing transparent, while also preserving the beauty I strive for as a printmaker, artist, and creator.