Bulgarian-born artist Sophia Dobreva-Nolita has launched her Bluebirds exhibition at Salford Quayside and, despite its smaller size, the environment her artworks create make for a unique and unforgettable visit.
Her striking illustrations evoke a sense of intimacy, making my experience one that was truly immersive.
Upon entering the room, your eyes can’t help but glance over to the right-hand side, where the exhibit’s loud bursts of blue, pink and yellow colours are rather miraculously tucked into a little corner.
However, as small in size it may be, it makes up for it with its bright presence. It’s almost as if Dobreva-Nolita’s works were carefully splattered in the space, with the blank white walls acting as the canvases themselves.
The acrylic on canvas paintings were as mesmerising as they were poignant. It was clear that Dobreva-Nolita intended to explore the ‘deep blue of the unconciousness’ in this group of works.
Her focus on the female body paired with the questions imposed of facing one’s ‘fragments of dreams, fears and everyday anxiety’ result in a fascinating delve into the role we all play in this world, and how we can (or if we even can) find it.
The occasion on the night of the launch heightened the exhibit’s ambience as it was filled with the excited chatter of Dobreva-Nolita’s friends and colleagues, and visitors, like myself, alike as they walked around the space.
Spoken word and contemporary dance performers also accompanied us on the night.
Loll Perkin gave a spoken word performance that consisted of proudly unfiltered, poetic anecdotes of her as well as others’ own life experiences regarding body positivity, the male gaze and the uplifting of women in society.
Reece ‘ReeRee’ Daniels also joined us as he danced the night away shortly after. There was no stage or professional music equipment, or even back-up dancers present, but ReeRee still managed to get the crowd moving with his scintillating yet equally stylish dance routine.
Kiosk also had several independent brands on sale towards the opposite side of the artworks, ranging from clothing and furniture to books and beauty products.
Bluebirds will be at Quayside until March 2. Find out more about Sophia Dobreva-Nolita here.
If you get the chance or just need a breather from work, pop down to Kiosk for a bit of temporary solitude. You won’t regret it.
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