An emotional creator, Sylvia Baldeva’s sensitivity and self-awareness are brought to the surface of her works through rapid yet delicate brush strokes. Born in Bulgaria, Sylvia Baldeva’s father, a renowned painter, immersed her in the world of art. Her influence still guides her today.
By Cécile Martet | 22 Aug 2023
Sylvia came to Paris to obtain a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and went on to study Graphic and Fashion Design. She then worked for numerous communication agencies and clothing brands. For several years now, she has been working as an illustrator with communication agencies, publishing houses and professional photographers.
Though she enjoys a career as an artist, Sylvia Baldeva still experiments and explores new facets of her creations through an introspective process.
Through what she calls “fluidity”, Baldeva uses spontaneous yet delicate brushstrokes to convey a certain expulsion of emotion. Her paintings evoke a feeling of release and light-heartedness. She prefers water-based paints and inks because they create balance between control and chaos.
The notion of chance is important in your creative process, could you tell us a little more about its role?
We must take the word “chance” very lightly. When I create, I don’t have a pre-meditated idea in mind, I just go for it – for the sake of pure creation. I have my blank sheet of paper and as soon as I apply the paint, little by little, my hand guides me and the brushstrokes develop.
It is the interaction between thought and gesture that actually creates the work as I go along. There is always this back-and-forth game of control and letting go throughout my creative process. This notion of chance is very present in the fluidity of my techniques and gestures.
Why is watercolor, a medium known for its difficulty, best suited to your artistic expression?
I love fluid and free-flowing paints and mediums! I will even work with diluted oil. I like fluid materials because they leave room for spontaneous gestures. At the same time, the spontaneous aspect can easily take over, so you have to control it, channel it.
That’s what I like about watercolors, they have a difficult side. I need to be free to make works full of meaning and emotion and watercolors allow it.
What about the feminine figure inspires your works?
It is true, I am often told that there is a lot of femininity in my art. I don’t impose it on myself, it comes naturally. It is undoubtedly the universe which is closest to me. I like the softness in all that is feminine, along with its timelessness and intuition.
It also reflects my character, it’s what I know best and therefore comes out naturally. But there are other subjects that make up my work such as animals, people, landscapes, and nature in general.
Nature in the broadest sense inspires and transports me. It is a fascinating means of expression that is anything but monotonous.
Your work reflects a world that is extremely sensitive, is it essential for you to create emotion?
For me, art is a sensation, an emotion. If there is no emotion it becomes mechanical creation, without soul. I am touched by art that arouses emotion, that’s why I do it. I am a sensitive person and I have no other way to bring out these feelings.
There must also be meaning, a state of mind…even in a landscape. Art that is flawlessly executed on a technical level can lack emotion, whereas a work of art that has small flaws can bring out something much stronger and provoke an intense reaction in the viewer because it’s more relatable and imperfect.
You grew up in Bulgaria, is there evidence of this in your works?
I am convinced there is! I think my works show bits of my childhood as well as part of my life in France. I grew up in an artistic environment so all of these influences are in constant play and they often come out in their own way. My Bulgarian soul has a lot of feelings, sensations, and emotions. It’s therefore very important that they show through in my work, there has to be an essence in things.
Your father is a well-known painter, do you believe he passed his artistic heritage down to you?
Yes, clearly. When you have a parent who is also an artist, whether you admit it or not, they become an important figure whose influence will be long-lasting. Though she was not a painter, my mother also had an artistic sensibility.
I was influenced by my father who had a great charisma, that’s what gave me the desire to make art my vocation. Whether it is in my illustration work or in my personal work, creation is paramount. Creation is the essence of everything I do. It is a state of being.
With which artists do you feel a connection or similarity?
There are many! Although I probably like particular works more than I do particular artists, Picasso is a genius because of his creativity, you can like or dislike him but he is nonetheless a creative force. I love Rodin, Degas, Raphael and Emil Nolde. With Nolde it’s the color that speaks, it’s very expressive! On a calm and more constructivist note I also admire Nicolas de Stael.
To conclude, are there any updates you’d like to give us?
I had the joy of being contacted by a decorator some time ago. We collaborated to show eight of my works at the Intercontinental Hotel in Paris Le Grand. They are now part of their permanent collection.
I am also currently working on a new series using monochrome and dichromatic graphite. More on that very soon!
