Origins
Project details
- Year
- 2022
- Programme
- graphic-design
- Practices
- Commercial
- Minor
- Branding
Inspired by the beauty and richness of my cultural heritage this project engages with the stories of 12 Bulgarian customs. Aiming to bring attention back to these rituals in the context of contemporary conversations, ‘Origins’ explores a system of visual storytelling through replacing language as the core way we tackle the delivery of cultural discourses with visual structures undertaking the role of information carriers. By building on top of the idea of conventional storytelling through spoken and written language, this work interlaces characters from the Glagolitic alphabet with storytelling symbols to visually layer and curate the narrative behind each tradition into a wearable material piece of art.
SURVAKANE 
SURVAKANE
A ritual of patting each other on the back for health throughout the year.
IORDANOVDEN 
IORDANOVDEN
Fetching the holy cross from the freezing winter waters for a healthy year.
SURVA 
SURVA
A parade of scary monsters banishing the evil spirits among us.
PETLIOVDEN 
PETLIOVDEN
A ritual sacrifice of a rooster celebrating male fertility and the becoming of a man.
TRIFON ZAREZAN 
TRIFON ZAREZAN
The first cutting of the vines as a celebration of life and rebirth.
SIRNI ZAGOVEZNI 
SIRNI ZAGOVEZNI
Asking for forgiveness from the elderly – a custom of spiritual purification.
BABA MARTA 
BABA MARTA
Celebrating the beginning of spring with small woolen adornments.
LAZARUVANE 
LAZARUVANE
Girls transitioning into young women as a custom of becoming ready for marriage.
NESTINARSTVO 
NESTINARSTVO
Dancing on embers as a celebration of life and a beautiful cult to the sun.
ENIOVDEN 
ENIOVDEN
Gathering herbs before sunrise on the most magical day of the year.
PEPERUDA 
PEPERUDA
An orphan dressed in leaves sings prayers for rain throughout the village.
GERMAN 
GERMAN
A ritual funeral for a doll made out of mud as a protection against hail.