2024 Senior Exhibition Artists

Nickola Getchevski

Art + Design: Graphic Design | Game Arts Minor

About Nickola Getchevski

Hey, I’m Nickola, a Bulgarian-American graphic designer from Berkley, Massachusetts. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been passionate about the creation, categorization, and organization of art, so graphic design was the logical career path for me, since it was the practical application of my craft. My works often reflect my passions in design: typography, photomanipulation, iconography, and inspiration from my Bulgarian heritage.

Statement

Shevitsi is the name of the embroidered symbols present in traditional Bulgarian clothing. Each symbol has a meaning behind it, often reflecting the wearer’s personality, status, and origin through a combination of personal and traditional iconography. They typically feature floral, symmetrical, or geometric designs, reflecting Bulgarian folklore’s harmony with nature.

My capstone recontextualizes Shevitsi to reflect my story and heritage as a Bulgarian-American through the combination of traditional and modern personal symbols. I wanted to primarily focus on my disconnect from my Bulgarian heritage, since I am the first second-generation American in my direct family, and the first family member in over two generations who isn’t in the medical field, hence the heavy emphasis on the imagery of the heart. Within the iconography of the heart lies many smaller interconnected symbols of significance ranging from my family’s immigration to the culture of Bulgaria.