Skip to main content

Our Artist of the Week - Vassilina Dikidjieva


Manhattan - Oil on Linen


Each week we present the works of one of the XUNICEF photographers or artists represented in our galleries. This week we feature the works of Vassilina Dikidjieeva.

Click on the first image in the slideshow below. Be patient - each slide takes about 10 seconds to load, but the first slide often takes a little longer to load.




Also be sure to visit our Instagram page and the galleries of all of our contributing XUNICEF Artists and Photographers.
Website www.vassilinadikidjieva.com See website below

Brief Biography

I was born in Bulgaria. I have liked drawing and painting since my childhood.

In addition to my architectural studies, I spent time learning fine art and sculpture in the Higher Institute of Civil Engineering in Sofia and in the Moscow Architectural Institute.

During my career as a professional architect, I worked in Bulgaria, Ethiopia and before retirement in 2016 I worked the final 17 years in UNICEF Headquarters, New York.

I live in New Jersey and dedicate my time to art.

Artist Statement 

Construction – deconstruction, ancient – contemporary, past –
present...My artworks are links of my architectural fascination with
cultural heritage and contemporary art.

I am also attracted by the big cities and New York has been a constant inspiration for me since my arrival here from Ethiopia in 1999. 

Since 2017, I embraced printmaking and attended workshops to learn etching, mono-prints, lithography and woodcut prints. These techniques allow me to revisit with increased clarity and intensity ancient symbols, elements, iconic images in the context of current hot topics and tragedies including but not limited to cultural heritage, art history, destruction of cities and nature, wars and genocide, terrorism, migrations. 

I also use digital photography to address the brave new world of fast-changing boundaries between public and private spaces where the camera becomes a preferred medium for which I invented the terms “Self-Expressionism” and “Selfie-Xpressionism”. 

In 2016, I was one of the winners in the 31st Chelsea International Fine Art Competition in which I participated with photo installations such as “Brexit” and “Grexit-Runaway Caryatid”. They became part of a series of installations and photographs in which I explore contemporary themes and events. 

Time and Space Winter Residency at Guttenberg Arts, New Jersey (January-March 2020) 


Out of 200 applicants, four other artists and I were selected for the Winter Residency at Guttenberg Arts. This was a great opportunity for me to expand my knowledge and experiment with new printmaking techniques. 

My main project was a tribute to Leonardo da Vinci. Five hundred years after his death, Mona Lisa is more popular than ever, eclipsing famous art icons such as Nike, Venus, Nefertiti, The Pyramids. She and Leonardo become a symbol, identity of the Louvre Museum. Last year it was visited by almost 10 million people and most of them wanted to see her (and take a selfie). In my work, I explored this phenomenon through a series of screen prints entitled “Mona Lisa: Allegory of Fame”. 

They are currently on view from 1st to 30th August 2020 at MADE HERE WINTER 2020 Exhibition at Guttenberg Arts, New Jersey (guttenbergarts.org). 



Labels: