I let myself be bird 2 IV-22 IV2016

a solo exhibition by Stanka Koleva

the show will also be on display in the foyer of Brynmawr's
Market Hall Cinema between 30 VI and 31 VII2017

​​“I let myself be bird” is an exhibition of photos by Stanka Koleva, a Bulgarian born photographer currently living and working in Berlin, Germany. Stanka grew up in the Black Sea town of Bourgas and has been a photographer since the year 2000. She began taking photographs after inheriting her first camera from her grandfather and learning the printing techniques she uses now from the owner of the last commercial darkroom in Bourgas.
 
Working with film, medium format cameras and printing the images herself using the gelatin silver process, Stanka creates dream-like, provocative and multi layered images full of light, fluidity and movement. Often ambiguous in their meaning, Stanka's photos leave the interpretation up to the viewer. 
 
Explaining the concepts in her work, Stanka says: "Human nature and mutual relations are aspects on which I rely to do my work, along with intuition, which is the most important part of an artistic act."
 
“I let myself be bird” is the 7th and last exhibition that will take place in the Hanbury Road Gallery, a project run since August 2015 in Bargoed by the*kickplate*project with the financial support of the Arts Council of Wales (Welsh Government and Lottery Funding), Caerphilly Arts Development and Bargoed Town Council.
 
You can find more of Stanka's  photographs in her portfolio and on flickr. 

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Mae "Gadawaf i fi fy hun fod yn aderyn" yn arddangosfa o ffotograffau gan “Stanka Koleva, ffotograffydd o Bulgaria sy'n byw a gweithio yn Berlin ar hyn o bryd. Magwyd Stanka yn nhref Bourgas ger y Môr Du a bu'n ffotograffydd ers y flwyddyn 2000. Dechreuodd dynnu ffotograffau ar ôl etifeddu ei chamera cyntaf gan ei thad-cu a dysgu'r technegau argraffu mae'n eu defnyddio'n awr gan berchennog yr ystafell dywyll fasnachol olaf yn Bourgas.

Gan weithio gyda ffilm, camerâu fformat canolig a phrintio'r delweddau ei hun yn defnyddioproses arian gelatin, mae Stanka yn creu delweddau breuddwydiol, profoclyd ac aml-haenog yn llawn golau, hylifedd a symudiad. Yn aml yn amwys o ran ystyr, mae ffotograffau Stanka yn gadael y dehongliad i'r rhai sy'n edrych arnynt.

Yn ei geiriau ei hun mae'n esbonio'r cysyniadau yn ei gwaith: "Mae natur ddynol a chysylltiadau pobl gyda'i gilydd yn agweddau y dibynnaf arnynt i wneud fy ngwaith, ynghyd â greddf, sef y rhan bwysicaf o weithred artistig."

"Gadawaf i fi fy hun fod yn aderyn" yw'r 7fed arddangosfa, a'r olaf a gynhelir yn Oriel Heol Hanbury, prosiect a gynhaliwyd ym Margoed ers mis Awst 2015 gan brosiect *kickplate* gyda chefnogaeth ariannol Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru (cyllid Llywodraeth Cymru a'r Loteri), Datblygu Celfyddydau Caerffili a Chyngor Tref Bargoed.

Gallwch weld mwy o ffotograffau Stanka yn ei phortffolio ac ar flickr.