Vassilina Dikidjieva

Artist Statement

Construction and deconstruction, ancient and contemporary, mythology and reality are recurring themes in my art and design projects.

I began my architectural studies at the Higher Institute of Civil Engineering in Sofia, Bulgaria, and graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institute (MARHI) in Russia. My education at MARHI has remained a lasting source of inspiration in both my architectural practice and artistic explorations. Drawing and painting were considered foundational to the plastic arts, and students were encouraged to experiment with color, form, and spatial composition. In addition to architectural subjects, I studied drawing, ink wash, painting, model building, sculpture, and other artistic mediums extensively. I continue to incorporate these techniques into both my professional and artistic work.

I experiment with digital photography and video to explore the rapidly changing boundaries between public and private space. The camera has become a preferred medium through which I examine these shifts, a practice I refer to as “selfie-expressionism.” In 2016, I was one of the winners of the 31st Chelsea International Fine Art Competition and participated in a group exhibition at Agora Gallery in New York. My photo installations, including Brexit and Grexit – Runaway Caryatid, explored contemporary themes and events through the intersection of photography, architecture, and classical imagery.

Since 2017, I have been exploring printmaking as a way to reinterpret classical symbols, elements, and iconic images within contemporary contexts. In the winter of 2020, I was a resident artist in the Time & Space Program at Guttenberg Arts in New Jersey. The central theme of my residency was a tribute to Leonardo da Vinci. Through a series of screenprints, I explored the enduring popularity of the Mona Lisa 500 years after Leonardo’s death, examining how the work has come to overshadow other artistic icons and become synonymous with the Louvre Museum.

In my recent paintings, I focus on the relationship between the metropolis and its people, and the ways in which they shape and reflect one another. Just as people are part of the city, the city becomes part of them. They project their aspirations, styles, and ideas onto the urban landscape—a place where past and present continually meet. The city can offer inspiration or disappointment, become a friend or an enemy, and represent both success and failure.

According to Aristotle, the metropolis is a place where people live together toward a noble goal. Yet for many, the city remains a dream in which they exist only as shadows, reflections, or faceless images mirrored in the shiny facades of buildings, or as disappearing figures within the fabric of the city.

My solo exhibition, Metropolis, presented this recent body of work at NOHO M55 Gallery in New York from June 24 through July 12, 2025.

www.vassilinadikidjieva.com | Instagram: @vdikidjiea

Biography

Vassilina Dikidjieva was born in Bulgaria. She began her architectural studies at the Higher Institute of Civil Engineering in Sofia and continued her education in Russia, graduating with distinction from the Moscow Architectural Institute (MARHI).

Throughout her career as a professional architect, Dikidjieva has worked in Bulgaria, Ethiopia, and New York. Her architectural education and professional experience continue to inform her multidisciplinary artistic practice, which encompasses painting, printmaking, photography, video, sculpture, and design.

Her work has been exhibited in the United States and internationally, including at Agora Gallery in New York and Guttenberg Arts in New Jersey. She currently lives and works in New Jersey, USA.