Hi, I’m Svetlomira.

Artist, illustrator & the person behind SvMinkova.

I’m a Bulgarian artist, illustrator and textile designer, born and raised in Sofia.

I studied at the National High School of Applied Arts and later graduated from the National Academy of Art in Sofia, where I completed both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Textile Art.

Textiles have always been at the heart of my work, but I love experimenting with different techniques and materials — drawing, painting, printmaking, graphic design and, eventually, embroidery.

Nature, animals, the human figure and colour are constant sources of inspiration for me. I’m especially drawn to bold colour combinations and to turning ordinary subjects into something a little more unexpected.

A period of living and travelling in Asia had a lasting influence on my visual language. The colours, wildlife, landscapes, temples and contrasts I experienced there still find their way into my work today.

Over the years I have worked in illustration, graphic design, publishing, theatre and television, but gradually my different worlds came together: drawing, textiles and storytelling.

Today, this is what you see in SvMinkova — original illustrations transformed into embroidery, prints and wearable pieces. Every collection begins with a drawing and grows into a small visual world of its own.

I still believe in the same thing I learned when I first started making art:

Keep drawing, keep experimenting, and never be afraid of colour.