CO-CREATED DIGITAL & PHYSICAL EXHIBITIONS

• Linslade Canal Festival, River/Flow/Connect: Our Natural Blue Spaces Charter with Bedford Creative Arts in collaboration with the Canals and River Trust, The Greensand Trust, Central Bedfordshire Council’s Culture and Countryside Teams and primary and secondary schools in Central Bedfordshire (27 Jul 2024)

• 2024 Gold Humanism Summit: The Person in Front of You / Hilton Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia, USA / Valuing Vulnerability (in collaboration with McPin Foundation) (29 Feb - 1 Mar 2024)

• World Conference on Statelessness: Solidarity, Knowledge, Change / Taylor’s University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Think in Your Heart, Think... Machar Colony, Statelessness, and the Search for Belonging comic book launch exhibition (26 - 29 Feb 2024) 

• MAST Mayflower Studios Theatre, Southampton / WonderTALES and WinterLANDS installation co-produced in collaboration with Weston Park Primary School (Nov 2023 - Jan 2024)
  
• MAST Mayflower Studios Theatre, Southampton / Presents and Post installation co-produced in collaboration with No Limits Young Carers (Nov 2023 - Jan 2024)
• Partition of Identity Study - 50 Years on since the inception of Bangladesh: Kaghazi Kashtiyan (Paper Boats): The Pakistani Bengali Story / Public Exhibition at Rich Mix, London (16 Nov - 10 Dec 2023)
• Partition of Identity Study - 50 Years on since the inception of Bangladesh: Kaghazi Kashtiyan (Paper Boats): The Pakistani Bengali Story / Public Exhibition at IVS Gallery - Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture, Karachi, Pakistan (18 - 26 May 2023) 
• Wallingford Town Hall, Exploring Wallingford’s History in Rhythm and Rhyme – Community Exhibition (Sep 2023)
• Made With Many, Swansgate Shopping Centre / Wellingborough Stories Festival Installation / What is Home: Arriving and Departing (May 2023-)
• MAST Mayflower Studios Theatre, Southampton / Pride Installation co-produced in collaboration with the Solent Queer Society (Aug 2023)
  

• East Riding, Yorkshire Wolds / Visual Art Uplift Schools and Community Engagement Project Exhibition / Church of St Michael and All Angels and The Treasure House (Apr - Aug 2023)

• MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton / White Rabbit Installation as part of Alice: A Musical Adventure in Wonderland (Nov - Dec 2022)
  

• Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, Whimore Reans Re-Mapped in collaboration with

  GeoTone, Kupid Val-Essone, Tess Radcliffe, Vimal Korpal, #ReansRemapped Partners – Gatis Community Centre, ACCI, Good Shepherd, Refugee & Migrant Centre and Wolverhampton City of Sanctuary, this project is supported by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and produced by Curiosity Productions (Oct - Nov 2022)

• St. Michael's Church, Kirkham / 'Kirkham's History: An A-Z Tour (Weather Permitting)' as part of Kirkham High Street Heritage Action Zone (HAZ) (Funded by Historic England) (Sep - Oct 2022)

• Museum of the Home and St Paul's with St Michael's, Queensbridge and Sebright Primary Schools, London / Associate Schools Project 'Tomorrowland' in collaboration with Bernadette Russell, Erik Perera, Hannah Marshall and Wendy Shearer (Sep 2021-)

• Goldsmiths University of London, London / 'Relapse Report' in collaboration with Lenka Vesela as part of 'After Progress Exhibition Project' directed by Dr Martin Savransky (Goldsmiths, University of London) and Dr Craig Lundy (Nottingham Trent University) and funded by The Sociological Review Foundation, with the support of the MA Ecology, Culture & Society and the Unit of Play, Department of Sociology, Goldsmiths, University of London (Sep 2021-)
• Wigan STEAM, Wigan / Future Human comics strips installation (in collaboration with young people reflecting their vision of Wigan in 2050) (Sep - Oct 2021) (Arts Council England Funded)
• Museum of the Home, London / 'Rhymes Through Time' multi-artwork family trail installation in collaboration with poet Valerie Bloom MBE (May 2021-) (National Lottery Heritage Funded)
  
• Chester Festival of Hope in collaboration with West Cheshire Museums, Hope Streets and Curious Minds 'Colour within the Lines: Living in Lockdown' (5 - 6 Sep 2020) (National Lottery Heritage Funded)
• National Memorial Arboretum, Alrewas / 'Visualising History: Remembering the Forgotten Army' (commemorating Victory over Japan Day 75) (Aug 2020 - Sep 2021)

JOINT DIGITAL & PHYSICAL EXHIBITIONS

• The Belonging Gallery, Manchester Museum, University of Manchester, Manchester / 'Mosan Enamels: A Medieval Craft Carried and Continued' / (Feb 2023-)
• Oldham Histories Festival, various historic sites and buildings around Oldham / 'Mosan Enamels: A Medieval Craft Carried and Continued' (9 Sep - 1 Oct 2022)
  
• The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge (Canterbury Museums and Galleries), Canterbury / 'Kent Wildlife Connected in Time' (Jan - Apr 2022)
  
• Suffolk Libraries, Stowmarket / Stowmarket Garden Project - 'Stitching Stowe' (Sep 2021-) (Arts Council England Funded)
• St John's Church, Leeds / 'New Briggate' - hosted by Leeds City Council and East Street Arts (Sep 2021)

• Preston Park Museum & Grounds, Stockton-on-Tees / Site-specific Contemporary Collecting Mural Exhibition Installation 'Lockdown Legends Exposed' (Jul - Oct 2021)

• St Mary's Church, Kirkby Lonsdale / Phoenix Rising Exhibition (19 Jul - 6 Aug 2021)
• University of Manchester’s Centre for Jewish Studies, Manchester / 'Deconstruct: Reconstruct - Turning a 14C Jewish Manuscript into 21C Comic Strips'online (Jun 2020-)
• Putney Arts Theatre, London / 'Festive Art Exhibition' (Oct 2019 - Feb 2020)
  
• The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge (Canterbury Museums and Galleries), Canterbury / 'The True Meaning of Christmas' (Nov 2019 - Jan 2020)
• Candid Arts, London / 'City Life Exhibition' (Oct 2019)
  
• Putney Arts Theatre, London / 'Summer Art Exhibition' (Jun - Sep 2019)
• The Front Room Gallery, The Beaney House of Art and Knowledge (Canterbury Museums and Galleries), Canterbury / 'Beyond War - Visualising Peace: Responding to the Armistice of 1918' (Nov 2018 - Feb 2019)
• Putney Arts Theatre, London / 'Winter Art Exhibition' (Nov 2018 - Jan 2019)
• Putney Arts Theatre, London / 'Summer Art Exhibition' (Jun - Jul 2018)
• CraftLocker, Travelling exhibition / 'Button It' (Jun - Jul 2018)
• Candid Arts Trust, London / 'Mixed Media Exhibition' (Apr 2018)
• UCL Institute of Education, London / 'MA Art and Design in Education Dissertation Exhibition' (May 2016)
• Middlesex University, The Grove, London / 'On the Beat' (Oct 2015)
• Bishop’s Stortford Museum, Bishop’s Stortford / ‘WW1 100th Anniversary’ (Aug 2014 - Feb 2015) (National Lottery Heritage Funded)
• Rowan Arts, Resource for London, London / ‘Mad About Art’ (Apr - Oct 2014)
• The Arts Cafe, Marbles and Ware Collective / London (Mar - Apr 2014)
• Middlesex University, The Grove, London / ‘MoDA Arthur Silver Award Winners’ Exhibition (Nov 2013)
• BAR Gallery, Unit 5 Queens Parade, London / ‘The Stables-In-Exile’ (Sep 2013)
• St Ia Church, St Ives Sacred Art Exhibition, St Ives / ‘Journeys’ (Sep 2013)
• 99 Mount Street Gallery, Mayfair, London (Jul 2013)
• The Old Truman Brewery, London / 'Degree Show' (Jun 2013)
• The Invisible Line Gallery, Brick Lane, London / ‘London Locations’ (Feb - Mar 2013)
• The Poetry Café, Covent Garden, London / ‘Sancti Clandestini - Undercover Saints’ (Oct - Nov 2012)
• Bankside Gallery, London / ‘RE OPEN’ (Aug - Sep 2012)
• The Poetry Café, Covent Garden, London / ‘The Haunts of the Poets’ (Dec 2011- Jan 2012)
• Kingsgate Gallery, London / ‘I-Spy Edgware Road’ (Nov 2010)

TESTIMONIALS

"I had the privilege of commissioning Kremena to co-create and design 10 information boards and children’s trail around Wallingford. Her experience and enthusiasm engaging with the community really made her application stand out and we are so pleased to have had Kremena lead on this project. The information boards are exactly what we were hoping for and are really visually enticing for a range of ages. Kremena’s skill in illustration and creating digital collages makes her work really unique and a wonderful combination of illustration, community art, archived images and her wonderful poetry. The trail ‘Exploring Wallingford’s history in Rhythm and Rhyme with the Queen of Crime’ really links in to our work celebrating Agatha Christie in the town. Kremena is a pleasure to work with and made the whole experience really enjoyable. She has a lighthearted and humorous manner which meant that the multiple community workshops we did were exciting for the public and she was able to put them at ease if they weren’t feeling too confident about creating the artwork. I would highly recommend Kremena to anyone looking to commission artwork celebrating heritage and community – thank you Kremena!"

Jennifer Green, Engagement Manager, Wallingford Town Council

"The information boards are fantastic and really interesting. Great addition to the town."

"The new boards look great! Lovely to spot them as you go around town. Thanks for creating the trail."

Wallingford residents

"We worked with Kremena on a cookery project with members of a community group based in Poplar, London. They used inspiration from the museum collection to create 4 recipes. Kremena facilitated an illustration workshop with the group, to incorporate their drawings into the final recipe card designs that she created. Kremena was extremely patient with the group who were not used to taking part in creative activities and engaged with each member of the group individually, so they each created something they were proud of. Kremena was very flexible and accommodating with the designs of the recipes cards and the effort she has put into them shows, as they have turned out amazingly. It has been a pleasure to work with Kremena on this project and we hope to work with her again soon."

Kyla Hyslop, Community Programme Manager, The British Museum

The British Museum, Brownfield's Men's Cabin - Community Programme
"Thank you for reigniting my interest in art."
"You are legendary - impact and simplicity are at the heart of great communication and you have done it!"
Workshop Participants

"McPin foundation commissioned Kremena to produce some visual metaphors and bespoke illustrations for a legacy project celebrating our ten year anniversary as a charity. We conduct mental health research that is directed by lived experience expertise. Kremena was a joy to work with. Super creative, intelligent, collaborative and professional. The work was co-produced and Kremena was able to incorporate different perspectives into the overall vison of the piece. Work was delivered on time and was accommodating of changes in short time frames. Kremena has a talent in translating abstract and academically driven concepts into visual form. Her use of colour is very appealing and the attention to detail demonstrated care and respect for the work. I would definitely commission and collaborate with Kremena again."

Raj Hazzard, Senior Researcher, McPin foundation

NEW-ABC Networking the Educational World: Across Boundaries for Community-building

"We commissioned Kremena to produce a digital artwork piece commemorating our activity-based intervention ‘Empowering Young Translators’ as part of the NEW ABC project. Our project involved setting up an after-school club for young people who speak multiple languages and/or translate for others in school, family and community settings.  In our project, we adopted participatory research and co-creation methods (storytelling, art making and media production, among others), to better explore young translating as a caring practice and understand young people’s emotional engagement. Kremena worked with us  to understand the ethos and process of the project and created beautiful artwork that synthesises the different activities and areas of engagement. Kremena’s artistry and unique visual storytelling approach captured the richness of the young people’s voices and contributions. It has a been a very enjoyable and exciting learning process co-creating with Kremena and seeing our project come to life in such a colourful and unexpected way."  

The NEW ABC UK Team, The Open University and Oxford Brookes University 

Hannukah activities for babies and toddlers, BBC Tiny Happy People

"We loved the final images, thanks so much for completing within the deadline and making any necessary changes! The images look so warm and homely which is just what we wanted! The team are super happy with them."

Tamara Bogle, Researcher, BBC Education

Beyond War - Visualising Peace: Responding to the Armistice of 1918

I would have no hesitation in working with Kremena again. Kremena is a pleasure to work with. She is a very creative, versatile and original artist and illustrator, who is extremely hard working, reliable and works effectively to agreed schedules. Kremena is passionate about the work she creates, sets herself very high standards and always meets or exceeds them.

Paul Russell, Programming Officer, Canterbury Museums and Galleries, Commercial & Cultural Development,

Canterbury City Council

Workshops and talks at Victoria Primary Academy (Wellingborough Stories Festival)

“It was a fortuitous encounter in Wellingborough Library that led us to meet and then work with Kremena. It is amazing what you find in a library! With a group of Year 3 and 4 students Kremena led an art session which included a discussion on what Wellingborough meant to the children and drew on their own experiences. The children were highly engaged and produced fantastic work which will be included in the Wellingborough Stories exhibition. Following this, Kremena visited the school and delivered two outstanding sessions with Year 1 and spoke to the whole school in assemblies about her work and the project. She explained to the children they could be artists and even a Doctor in Art! She was a joy to work with and I hope she will visit again.”

Vikki Wood, Year 1 Class Teacher, SMSC, BV and Cultural Events Lead

Whitmore Reans Re-Mapped, Co-created Community Project

"Kremena is a joy to work with. She created a large scale illustrated piece for Whitmore Reans Remapped, a creative community mapping project with Newhampton Arts Centre in Wolverhampton. Her work beautifully captured and presented the ideas and insights of the communities that we worked with. She listens carefully, illustrates beautifully, collaborates generously and delivers on time. She is really flexible in providing her work in different formats and sizes as required by the project and is always friendly and helpful. I hope to work with her again soon. Thanks again for your brilliant work."

Jenny Smith, Creative Director Curiosity Productions

Co-created White Rabbit Installation with Redbridge Primary School as part of Alice: A Musical Adventure in Wonderland

“We had a wonderful experience working alongside Kremena as part of our community takeover project. It was a joy to see the way in which Kremena connected with the young people she was working with, and the final design of the White Rabbit really demonstrates how she was able to take each young person’s idea and ensure they were embedded into the final piece. The care that Kremena brought to her work was evident, coupled with brilliant enthusiasm and wonderful artistic ability. We are really looking forward to working with Kremena again in the future.”

Katie Muncer, Community Programme Leader, MAST Mayflower Studios

Rhymes Through Time, Tomorrowland, A Betrothal Gift (Hanukkah Festival)

"Kremena is a dream to work with, an absolute professional who is dedicated to her craft with a whole range of creative skills and knowledge that she brings to every project. We worked with her on several projects for families and schools and Kremena created beautiful illustrations that surpassed our expectations."

Rebecca Jacobs, Creative Learning Manager at the Museum of the Home

Home truths | Museum of the Home, London - Museums ...

https://www.museumsassociation.org ›

5 Aug 2021 —

"The Rhymes Through Time by Valerie Bloom and illustrator Kremena Dimitrova inject life into rooms I previously found static and hard to read...

This thoughtful and sensitive redevelopment has allowed the museum to tell a far more inclusive, personal and engaging story"

---

“Check out

@MuseumoftheHome

a phenomenal way to time travel across 400 years! I loved the multi-artwork installation: 'Rhymes Through Time', bringing to life the Rooms Through Time for younger visitors, created by

@PoetryVal & @KremieDimitrova”

@TheWritingWeb

Introduction to Visual Culture (Photography), University of Portsmouth

"We in the School of Art, Design and Performance at the University of Portsmouth were delighted with Kremena's teaching on our first year module, Introduction to Visual Culture (Photography), on techniques and ideas in the historical and critical analysis of imagery. The evaluations of her teaching by the students were excellent and her success as a seminar tutor and lecturer was evident in the originality and commitment to the subject they showed in their essays. As an illustrator and historian herself, Kremena both cultivates students' creative imaginations and helps them to reflect on their own roles and experiences as photography students, clearly integrating the theoretical, historical and practical aspects of their studies. Her feedback is very thorough, precise and rigorous, providing ample and specific guidance to students on how to attain the criteria and expectations that we set."

Dr Marius Kwint (Reader in Visual Culture)

Introduction to Visual Culture (Photography), University of Portsmouth

"Thanks for being such a great and understanding teacher. I feel very confident, happy and comfortable coming to these sessions."

"I've enjoyed being able to be taught by you Kremena."

BA Photography students

"The Festival of Hope worked with Kremena during summer 2020. Kremena displayed excellent collaboration and co-creation skills, working with our Young Producers to develop a Comic Strip about young people’s experience in lockdown. Kremena worked flexibly and efficiently during the project and was able to deliver an amazing final product in a very short space of time. The Young Producers loved Kremena’s friendly nature, making it easy to collaborate and develop ideas. The Producers were also really happy with the final piece of artwork, stating that it surpassed their expectations."

Jonathan Nash, Community and Learning Officer, Cheshire West and Chester Council

"In 2020 we commissioned Kremena to create a piece of art inspired by an artefact or manuscript from a collection held at Manchester University’s John Rylands Library. Kremena was thorough in her research and communicated with everyone working on the project regularly. During the process of creating the artwork she wrote weekly blog entries for our website detailing her research and artistic processes. The final artwork she created is a wonderful, complex, vibrant piece consisting of 7 panels that link together perfectly. There is so much detail I discover something new every time I look at it. Everyone working on the 50 Jewish Objects project are thrilled with the final artwork. We look forward to working with Kremena in the future." 

Laura Mitchell, Research Centre Administrator, Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Manchester 

"We commissioned Kremena to produce a new exhibition as part of our national commemorations marking the 75^th anniversary of VJ Day. Throughout the project she was engaging and professional, and undertook extensive research through secondary sources and participatory workshops. The final exhibition exceeded all our expectations and our visitors thoroughly enjoyed the artistry and learning about VJ Day."

"THE EXHIBITION HAS BEEN REALLY WELL RECEIVED. IN THE WEEK AFTER VJ DAY, THE EXHIBITION WAS VIEWED BY OVER 3000 PEOPLE WITH A DWELL TIME OVER NEARLY 4 MINUTES (OVER THREE TIMES OUR AVERAGE PAGE DWELL TIME)."

Chris Ansell, Head of Participation and Learning, The National Memorial Arboretum

"I first came across Kremie when she designed some children's books for me at Lonely Planet. Her enthusiasm and sensitivity to each project and determination to develop a style that would be just right for the topic were impressive. Since then she has grown in both her design work and engagement with the world of education - she's a joy to work with and never stops learning."

Mina Patria, Publisher

In 2010 I was contracted by Lonely Planet to design and produce the first titles under their new childrens book imprint Lonely Planet Kids. Kremena Dimitrova was one of three illustrators I commissioned to illustrate a series of childrens sticker books for the range. I was looking for a fresh new style for the artworks and Kremena’s artworks were perfect. She produced some fantastic work and met every deadline with ease. Her work ethic was commendable and she turned around the revises swiftly and accurately. I would recommend Kremena as a professional illustrator and a really nice person to work with.

Bev Speight, Artist, Designer, Author, Educator (Middlesex University)

'Storytelling and Comic Strips' digital workshops for girls aged 15-20 

"Kremie is a thoughtful, accomplished and extremely knowledgeable artist and facilitator. Kremie was able to inspire our group of shy young women, through an online forum, to uncover their creative side in an encouraging and gentle manner. Kremie was able to work with our girls' group who had very limited experience and resources when it came to creating comic strips. She was able to get them to express their creativity through a medium they were not familiar with through themes of identity and their experiences during this pandemic."

Marissa Del Mistro, Programme Co-ordinator, MIDAYE Somali Development Network

'Storytelling and Comic Strips' digital workshops for girls aged 15-20 

"Kremie’s comic workshop was full of contextual information about comics and was wonderful for learning more about comic styles and content. Her advice and suggestions to improve our pieces was really insightful and fostered creativity and thinking outside of the box (such as using text outside of panels)." 

M, 20 years old, workshop participant

The Phoenix Art & Health Project (theme Stress & Anxiety) - Comics & Personal Well-being

"Kremena was just fabulous to work with! She is highly organised and shows a great attention to detail in her ability to organise accessible creative sessions whilst ensuring that everyone she works with connects with each other and the work. She clearly has a passion for comics and illustration which I witnessed spread across our group like wildfire... I genuinely hope we can work with her again."

Sue Flowers, Artistic Director, Green Close

The Phoenix Art & Health Project (theme Stress & Anxiety) - Comics & Personal Well-being

"I thoroughly enjoyed your course! YOU REALLY ARE A SUPER STAR! I have looked further at your work and wow! Super talented and I feel ever so lucky I made time out for me to explore something that took me out of my comfort zone and learnt new ways to explore editing and reducing details and info within my imagery to try my best to make a simplified comic strip!"

Danielle Chappell (Aspinwall), workshop participant

Untold Stories of Burmantofts and New Briggate - community engagement through phone calls and postal packs

"Good morning Kremie,

Hope you are well, and keeping safe. Just to let you know I received the box of projects you sent to me. I found them very interesting and have enjoyed spending time doing them. Just waiting for my granddaughter to do a drawing of me. Thank you all very much. It’s wonderful to be included in the scheme."

N, Burmantofts Senior Action member

“Dear Kremie, 

Thank you for all the care, patience, help and encouragement throughout the course from beginning to the end… you were there to guide me, you really held my hand for every step. Words can’t describe how lucky I am to have you as my tutor along the way. I have also learnt how to use Photoshop because of you.” 

Bheng, student (Intensive Foundation in Art and Design, Middlesex University) 

"Thank you Kremena. You drew two wonderful cartoons according to my specifications. You didn't know the main characters but caught them perfectly. You worked with me throughout sending me drafts and making amendments, and you were thoroughly professional and patient. The cartoons will make a great gift and I'll certainly contact you again for future commissions."

Ralph (private commission)

 

"Dear Kremena,

Many thanks for drawing a great work of art! In Dublin, Ralph did a great job telling a few stories about Christine, my colleague, and me. He’d even remembered that I once said to him that leading our project felt like trying to keep the frogs in the wheelbarrow, as the Dutch saying goes. You have wonderfully succeeded in visualizing this saying!"

Frans (private commission)

"Dear Kremie,

As you know our daughter commissioned a picture from you, as a Golden Wedding present for us. I just want you to know how thrilled we are with it! We love the way you have depicted the three generations of family members, and how you have introduced meaningful “icons”, some very subtle, others less so(!), of memories & personal quirks. You have inserted them with taste and humour. Every time we look at the picture we see something new. Looking at your work is a true “feel good” experience. Many thanks for a splendid piece of art."

Lesley & Ricky (private commission)

Illustration/collage workshops for families and children, Benjamin Franklin House

"Hello Kremena, 

It was lovely to meet you. I was inspired and encouraged by you. The workshop was so good. What a simple and yet powerful idea. There were so many teaching points… art, history, recycling... great stuff. I had a look at your work. Very talented. Your work is very exciting."

Adora, workshop participant