Vaska Emanuilova Gallery, a branch of the Sofia City Art Gallery, opened an exhibition of two contemporary sculptors from the same generation, whose approach to studying, constructing and processing form is different. 
“Opposites and Similarities” is the title of the exhibition by Zoya Lekova and Monika Igarenska at the Vaska Emanuilova Gallery, which is open to visitors until October 19. 
Zoya Lekova  creates abstract compositions, devoid of any kind of resemblance or decorativeness. For the past 25 years, she has been working on the cycle "Points of Intersection", in which she combines stone, wood, metal and glass in abstract compositions that challenge our established perceptions of volume and mass. Her works are speculative and monolithic, and the combinatorics evoke a sense of gravity and balance. 
The artist was born in Plovdiv. She graduated from the National Academy of Arts, majoring in Sculpture, in the studio of Professor Krum Damyanov (1993–2000). Since 2008, she has been teaching sculpture at the Metal Department of the National Academy of Arts. Since 2004, she has been a member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists. Since 1997, she has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, competitions and sculpture symposia in Bulgaria, Germany, Canada, Romania, France, Croatia-
Monika Igarenska  is known on the scene as the author of monumental sculpture. In recent years, she has been developing a cycle of works inspired by natural materials, recycling and rural life. Experimenting with the traditional technique of mixing clay and straw, adding additional elements on the principle of papier-mâché, the sculptor creates a series of reliefs with prints of vessels and braids. These decorative motifs carry a symbolic message of "spiritualization of matter" and the idea of immortality in nature.
The author was born in the town of Mezdra. In 2000 she graduated from the National Academy of Fine Arts "Nikolai Pavlovich", Sofia, majoring in "Sculpture", and since 2007 she has been a member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists. She participates in a number of national and regional exhibitions, biennials and symposiums. She works in the field of monumental sculpture, small plastic art and relief in stone, metal and wood. She also experiments in the field of drawing and techniques such as collage and papier-mâché. 
The exhibition of  the two artists is held within the "Sculpture" program of the "Vaska Emanuilova" gallery and is part of the special program dedicated to the 120th anniversary of the birth of  Vaska Emanuilova.
Their exhibition is conceived on the principle of contrast and opposition of approaches and forms in contemporary Bulgarian sculpture. At the same time, it reveals certain similarities that bring the authors' pursuits closer together. On the one hand, for both, tradition, experience and craft are guiding principles in creative work, and on the other, they apply bold experimentation and challenging established norms and perceptions.
Art critic Galina Dimitrova is the curator of the exhibition. Listen to Dimitrina Kyurkchieva's conversation with her at Artefir.
More info: https://bnr.bg/hristobotev/post/102210446/vaska-emanuilova