“Drawing has always been present in my life… a way to transmit emotions in colours and do phrases with elements, figures, colour contrasts, repetitive details.”
Traces of Thought, Layers of Vision
Iva Bogdanova’s artistic journey is anything but conventional. Born in Bulgaria and currently living in Lausanne, Switzerland, she brings a scientific clarity to abstract expressionism, blending her background in telecommunication engineering, applied mathematics, and a PhD in electrical engineering with an intuitive sense for visual composition. Her work draws upon structured repetition and conceptual abstraction, often echoing the logic of systems and networks. Rather than focusing on the visible world alone, Bogdanova’s pieces often operate as windows into the unseen—emotional topographies, energy fields, and the vibrational patterns of natural phenomena. She constructs immersive surfaces where order and spontaneity collide, allowing mathematical precision to cohabit with painterly imagination.
Bogdanova’s lifelong passion for sketching began in childhood, with animals and human faces becoming early subjects of interest. This early curiosity matured into a visual practice deeply invested in exploring the interactions within natural environments, both tangible and ephemeral. Her style—abstract impressionism with figurative elements—functions not merely as aesthetic expression but as a celebration of life in all its complexity. The influence of her studies in color perception during her engineering education introduced her to the emotive potential of chromatic relationships, giving her the freedom to experiment with contrasts and harmonies across a wide spectrum of hues. This foundational knowledge has remained a vital element in her compositions, contributing to the immersive and often hypnotic quality of her paintings.
In recent years, Bogdanova has embraced large-scale works, notably creating expansive canvases measuring up to 100x150cm. She approaches each piece with a storytelling sensibility, using layers of acrylic paint applied by hand to form backgrounds, which later become stages for intricate figures and symbols. Her process is both intuitive and rigorous, often requiring several days of intense focus. Drawing continues to be a daily meditative practice—particularly portraits—through which she studies spatial dynamics and emotional nuance. For Bogdanova, art is not merely a pursuit; it is a visual language, a tool for translating internal experiences into communicable, color-infused forms.
Iva Bogdanova: From Equations to Emotions
The intellectual undercurrents of Bogdanova’s paintings are shaped by a unique intersection of analytical rigor and emotive exploration. Her use of repeated motifs—dots, lines, cellular forms—suggests an almost algorithmic consciousness, reflecting the logic of engineering while gesturing toward the unpredictability of organic growth. The structures she paints often suggest the architectures of nature: coral reefs, microscopic life forms, root systems, or aerial maps. Yet, they are never literal representations. Instead, they invite viewers into imagined ecologies where perception and intuition are equally essential. These works offer neither a beginning nor an end; they evolve as one moves through them, much like a scientific hypothesis unraveling into poetic speculation.
Symbolism plays a central role in her practice. Owls, turtles, jellyfish, and phoenix-like birds surface again and again, not as decorative elements but as coded references to wisdom, transformation, and renewal. The presence of these creatures transforms her compositions into living systems—spaces of mythic resonance layered within visual complexity. This symbolic language, expressed through organic ornamentation, deepens the emotional dimension of her practice. Even when non-figurative, her canvases feel inhabited by forces larger than the viewer, forces that demand contemplation rather than interpretation. The density of detail encourages prolonged engagement, fostering a quiet dialogue between the viewer and the image.
Color in Bogdanova’s work is not applied arbitrarily but used to guide perception. She moves effortlessly between earthy ochres and cosmic purples, warm yellows and electric pinks. Each tonal choice seems tailored to intensify the immersive effect of her compositions, whether evoking terrestrial landscapes or aquatic depths. Her affinity for circular and grid-like formats adds a structural cohesion to her more chaotic elements, producing a dynamic balance between discipline and creative release. The resulting compositions act almost as visual mantras—inviting viewers into a state of meditative observation. Her ability to integrate personal symbolism, natural observation, and mathematical discipline situates her practice at a fascinating intersection of science and spirituality.
Organic Symmetry and Artistic Ritual
Bogdanova’s process is rooted in discipline, but it also invites spontaneity. Her preferred medium is acrylic, chosen for its quick drying properties and compatibility with layering. Often using her hands to sculpt the background directly onto canvas, she manipulates texture and form in a physical, almost ritualistic manner. These backgrounds become living environments onto which more defined figures and lines are added using brushes or acrylic markers. Through this method, she merges the tactile immediacy of hand-crafted work with the conceptual layering of her intellectual background. Occasionally, she incorporates mixed media, enhancing the narrative complexity and material richness of her work.
Her daily sketching habit is not a side practice but a central component of her artistic growth. Exploring portraits has become a way to understand the intersection of space and emotion—how a facial expression can echo internal states, and how lines and shadows can suggest psychological depth. These studies inform her larger works, both in terms of technical execution and emotional resonance. The sketchbook is ever-present in her workspace, acting as a testing ground for ideas and visual experiments. It is in this routine that she finds a moment of calm reflection, a half-hour retreat from the demands of daily life into the sanctuary of line and form.
One painting, in particular, encapsulates her recent artistic vision: “WATER REALMS” (2025), an acrylic on canvas piece measuring 100x150cm. This work holds special significance for Bogdanova, not only due to its scale and execution but because of its subject matter. The sea, with its layered ecosystems and mystical associations, serves as both inspiration and metaphor. Sea life forms emerge across the surface, not in realistic depiction but as symbolic carriers of meaning. The piece reflects her ongoing fascination with natural elements, especially water as a carrier of emotion, memory, and change. “WATER REALMS” stands as a vivid example of how Bogdanova transforms environmental observation into deeply personal and visually captivating experiences.
Iva Bogdanova: The Art of Transformation and Communication
At the core of Bogdanova’s practice lies an enduring desire to communicate—beyond language, beyond logic—through the direct emotional resonance of color, form, and gesture. Her work speaks to the viewer in a non-verbal syntax, composed of rhythmic detail and symbolic imagery. For her, painting is not merely about aesthetic achievement but about crafting a visual idiom capable of expressing thought, emotion, and memory. She views drawing and painting as extensions of speech, alternative forms of articulation that allow her to narrate inner landscapes, reveal unseen interactions, and express complex emotional states without the constraints of conventional language.
Her engineering background may have taught her structure, but her art rejects rigidity. It pulses with life, curiosity, and movement. Whether depicting stylized flora, conceptual maps, or imagined ecosystems, her paintings invite participation. Viewers are not merely observers; they are co-navigators in an abstract journey. This duality—where systematic logic meets unbounded creativity—is what defines Bogdanova’s unique position in the contemporary art scene. She sees every artwork as an open conversation, a space where intuitive mark-making and intellectual design can interact, allowing for a spectrum of interpretations and emotional responses.
Looking forward, Bogdanova is focused on bringing her recent body of work into public space through physical exhibitions. She envisions gallery installations that allow her large-scale pieces to be experienced as immersive environments—where the viewer is surrounded by the same energy and contemplation that guided their creation. For her, showing the work is not simply about visibility but about completing the cycle of communication. She seeks to share the visual narratives that have long lived in her imagination and sketchbooks, bringing them into dialogue with new audiences. In doing so, she hopes to offer a moment of connection—through color, form, and rhythm—that transcends words.
