Iva Gueorguieva’s (b. 1974, Bulgaria) abstract paintings and sculptures investigate notions of space, illusion and movement. Drawing on the legacy of Abstract Expressionism, the artist’s paintings are driven by a sense of urgency, a desire to orchestrate chaos and recreate the complexity of life on canvas. Composed of intricate arrangements of painted paper and fabric collaged on the canvas with a feverish energy and dynamism, her paintings seek to investigate the fine line between the intrinsic illusion of the painting’s plane and the physicality of its surface. The artist’s sculptures echo her painting practice in their exploration of the spatial properties of materials. By combining simple elements such as metal scraps, fabric and stone to create intricate sculptural assemblages, the artist draws her inspiration from the Californian landscape where she resides, whilst referencing the legacy of Neo-Dada and Russian Constructivism.
Notable group exhibitions include “Variations: Conversations in and around Abstract Painting,” curated by Franklin Sirmans, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA; “Making Sense: Rochelle Feinstein, Deborah Grant, Iva Gueorguieva, Dona Nelson,” curated by Margaret Miller, USF Contemporary Art Museum, Tampa, FL; “Graphicstudio: Uncommon Practice at USF,” curated by Jade Dellinger, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL; and “Desire: Six Los Angeles Artists,” Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, CA, among others.
Her work is included in many public and private collections including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA; the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis, MN; The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA; University Art Museum | California State University, Long Beach, Long Beach, CA; Art, Design and Architecture Museum at UC Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA; and Pomona College Museum of Art, Claremont, CA.
She is the recipient of the Orange County Contemporary Collectors Fellowship for 2012, the California Community Foundation mid-career fellowship for 2010, and the Pollock-Krasner Grant for 2006. Gueorguieva lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
