Anatomy of an idea

I've always been fascinated by those moments of grace when an idea appears and changes everything. 
My idea of ??using 3D embossing tapes is very simple and obvious at first glance. 
But in reality, it's the result of several small ideas and experiments I've had over the years, 
which, combined, gave me the idea to create my artworks with these 3D tapes. 

A passion for typography

The main thing is that I've been in love with typography since I was very young. 
I drew quite well, and was even better with lettering. 
At school, I drew rock bands logos and visuals on many students' backpacks and t-shirts. I also helped the art teacher create posters and slogans for the Communist Youth. 
The desire to use large texts as backgrounds or to create images with text came to me later when I was a fine arts student. 
I incorporated large texts into my graduation projects in photography and screen printing. 

In my professional life, as an art director and graphic designer in advertising, I've often created visuals where the text also served as an image. 

The MyStuffCapsSSK journey

On the other hand, I've always loved the MyStuffCapsSSK typeface. 
I haven't used it much in advertising and graphic design because I wanted to save it for something "more special." 

In 2018, I started my own company and created the logo using the MyStuffCapsSSK typeface. 
For my business cards, I wanted the logo in 3D, so I bought a 3D embossing machine with three black embossing tapes to stick onto the cards. 

3D embossing as a game

Then I started playing around with it. 
I wrote, I stuck the tapes all over my house, and I thought that maybe there was something I could do with. 
I saw them as lines, and therefore as a way to drawing. But no more.

Renovating… imagination

Shortly after, I renovated my apartment in Sofia. 
I wanted a kitchen backsplash that extended the view from my window. 
So I created a three-color mosaic based on a photo. I glued tiles on, and the image appeared. 

Art up for grabs 

In 2020, I created a web platform for selling artwork. 
The idea was to promote artists from Eastern Europe to Western Europe buyers. 
For three years, I curated this platform, and thousands of paintings passed before my eyes. 
And I often thought to myself, "I can do this even better..." 
Becoming a full-time artist was already shaping in my mind.

The final trigger

Then one day in July 2022, for the first time, I ventured online to search for and order strips for my embossing machine. 
And here's the image I saw on the first page of my search results. 

I didn't see colored strips. I immediately saw an artist's palette.
After my mosaic, I imagined how I could design with these colored tapes. 
I could already see images in my mind, pictures using this new technique I had just invented. 

Artworks with a voice

In addition to creating visuals, this technique adds a new dimension to the artwork-writing. 

Now, 3.5 years later and after about ten artworks and others in progress, I realize the richness and possibilities this technique offers me. 
And I intend to use them to the fullest. 

I've just started, I'm only at the beginning!