Rossitza Djananova

I often go downtown. In my roamings around the city center, I encounter the homeless -- those weakest of the weak, our littlest brothers and sisters. For some ineffable reason, they attract me. I wonder about the subjectivity hidden beneath the battered exterior, about the human enigma each of these people represents. My interest in them is visual and philosophical. By painting them, I enter in an interpersonal relationship with them. I am amazed by the resilience these people radiate even from the abyss of misery.

A native of Bulgaria, Rossitza Djananova graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria, and has painted ever since. In addition to painting, Ms. Djananova's artistic explorations include icon painting and monumental genres like mosaic and frescoes. While Ms. Djananova is grounded in the clasical realist tradition, her influences also include the bolder brushwork of German Expressionism and the post-Impressionistic impulse toward stylization and abstration for a idiosyncratic, unique mode of expression. In her work, Rossitza Djananova explores issues of marginalization and oppression. For more of the artist’s work, you can visit rossitzadjananovaart.com.