Feltitude

Growing up in the ancient Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, Diana Dobreva has always been inspired by the movement and color of her surroundings. An adventurer at heart, Diana captures her stories in her textiles, weaving memories — from soaring over the Balkans in gliders and balloons to sailing the Black Sea — into multicolored swirls and traditional folk patterns. After completing her Master of Science, Diana immigrated to America, continuing to show her work in galleries before taking a hiatus to pursue a career in cytogenetics. Now, Diana has reconnected with her love of fabrics by exploring wet felting. She creates hats, gloves, scarves, and wool-wrapped soap, transforming the material into sculptural forms that are both beautiful and practical.