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Biljana Petreska is a Roycroft photographer and multimedia artist based in Buffalo, NY. Her art emerges from a synthesis of personal experiences and exploration of techniques. Often featuring herself as the subject, her artistic focus is conceptual imagery illuminating the power of vulnerability, inviting the viewer to a dialogue about perspectives and shared narratives.
Biljana, your background in pharmacy and fine arts is quite unique. How do you integrate your knowledge of chemistry, botany, and pharmacognosy into your art-making process, and how does this scientific foundation influence your creative expression?
My background helps me meld scientific expertise with artistic expression and informs and shapes my creative process, offering my innovative perspective. While studying medicinal plants, their chemistry, and properties, I learned extensively about collecting and using natural materials, as well as their attributes and ways to modify them. This knowledge makes working with plants and other organic materials feel very comfortable to me.
Transparency is an important element in my artwork, and I typically choose and modify organic and other materials such as leaves and flower petals to make them translucent. I also use chemicals and certain processes to prepare the materials for various printing methods.
Your work often explores themes of vulnerability, transparency, and fragmented perception. Can you share how you choose the materials and techniques to convey these themes in your artwork?
The most important part of artmaking to me is the process. In my studio, I sit with my thoughts and emotions and allow myself to experience them from a place of curiosity and non-judgement. During this time, the artmaking process comes to me, and I begin to experiment with photography and the materials that I am drawn to in that moment and build from there. Many of the materials I use and that appeal to me are fragile, such as flowers, leaves, feathers, mirrors, and glass. I modify some of them to a certain level of translucency and combine them to portray a certain experience. I typically layer surfaces that remind me of or that I associate with specific emotions, whether through tactile quality, color, or shape. This practice is meditative, and I often feel that while I am immersed in working on a piece, I find answers and closure for myself while pushing the boundaries of traditional photography and art, inviting viewers to explore the profound layers of human experience and interaction.
Congratulations on being named a Roycroft Artisan in Photography in 2024. Can you tell us more about what this recognition means to you and how being part of the Roycrofters At-Large Association could influence your artistic journey?
Thank you! I am truly honored for this prestigious recognition and to be a part of the Roycroft community. This organization includes a family of artists at the top of their media (such as glass, photography, wood, jewelry, clay, sculpture, painting, etc.) and educates, fosters, and inspires through continual evolution of the Arts and Crafts Movement. To me, being a Roycroft artist means being a part of a supportive artist community with mentorship and collaboration opportunities, and I am looking forward to learning and expanding my network, connecting with others dedicated to their craft, and gaining opportunities to further grow as an artist.
You frequently use yourself as a subject in your pieces, creating a dialogue about self-perception and connection. How do personal experiences shape your work, and what do you hope viewers take away from these introspective narratives?
My pieces are reminiscent of entries in a diary based on personal experiences. I consider my studio a safe space where I work on understanding more about myself and how I relate to others and my outlook on life. During artmaking, I find closure for myself. Featuring and seeing myself as a subject evokes a sense of self-compassion and allows me to be vulnerable and embrace who I am.
My work invites the viewer into a dialogue about shared narratives, fostering emotional connections that resonate deeply with themes of inclusion and acceptance. I hope to bring out empathy and connect with the viewer as an offer to accept who we genuinely are. I wish for all of us to feel empowered and to enrich our experience with a sense of belonging without trying to fit in.
You mentioned that you love experimenting with different media and are currently learning new glass techniques. How do these new skills expand your artistic repertoire, and can you share any upcoming projects or pieces that incorporate these new methods?
I find excitement in learning and accepting that I will continuously be a beginner, especially when it comes to new media and techniques. Combining photography techniques with diverse materials while enriching my repertoire and exploring and researching new avenues is an essential part of how I develop my pieces. They contribute to my inspiration and help me stay curious, as well as keep me motivated to create.
I have often used broken glass to complement the photography utilized in my pieces in the past. However lately I have found I would like to be able to shape, cut and attach the glass in my artwork as a part of my transparency element. I find glass very versatile, and it works perfectly with the rest of my materials. I am also researching different alternative processes that result in layering and transferring images to glass.
I am currently working on a series titled “Resentment,” where I implement photography and feathers combined with a variety of media, including glass, wire, and resin in my mixed-media pieces. This series includes the title piece which is included in this feature.
Catalogue
More info:
Website: https://biljanapetreska.com/
Online gallery: https://www.jaamzin.com/biljana-petreska
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