Over the weekend, Yordanka Yosifova and Yoana Chushkareva – members of the Chushkarev family – visited THE NEW VALUABLE: Objects of Bulgarian Contemporary Craftsmanship, the exhibition in which they are featured. Here’s what they shared on social media:
Йорданка Йосифова (вляво) и Йоана Чушкарева с един от килимите им в изложбата НОВОТО ЦЕННО / Снимката е предоставена от сем. Чушкареви
Йорданка Йосифова, Йоана Чушкарева, заедно с тъкачки и приятелки в изложбата НОВОТО ЦЕННО / Снимката е предоставена от сем. Чушкареви
“THE NEW VALUABLE is truly an exhibition worth seeing. Crafts in the contemporary world, crafts as art, crafts as a meaning of existence. Thanks to a gift excursion from the Municipality of Chiprovtsi for the demonstrators at the Carpet Festival, we had the opportunity to visit the exhibition and enjoy the mastery of many creators. We are happy that the Chushkarev family is part of this exhibition – our gratitude to Capturing Creativity.”
Photo archive of the Chushkarev family
Descendants of five generations of carpet weavers, the Chushkarev family has never abandoned the craft that shaped their lives and sustained their hometown for centuries. On the contrary, they have chosen to preserve it — to carry on the tradition and enrich it with their own artistic designs. Interweaving past and future, they reinterpret the classical motifs of the world-renowned Chiprovtsi carpet, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014.
The family raises sheep whose wool they spin, dye, and weave into the distinctive Chushkarcheto carpets.
Portrait of Chushkarcheto / Photo archive of the Chushkarev family
Miroslav Stoev dyes yarn / Photo archive of the Chushkarev family
In 1998, sisters Velika and Yoana Chushkareva — fifth-generation carpet weavers from the town of Chiprovtsi, Bulgaria — decided to breathe new life into their ancestral craft, which fewer and fewer young people were pursuing. They founded a small family workshop for the production of Chiprovtsi carpets, naming it after their enterprising paternal grandfather, known locally by the nickname Chushkarcheto. The family preserves every stage of the traditional process — from raising the sheep and spinning the wool, to dyeing, weaving, and promoting their finished works.
The Chiprovtsi carpet is recognized as one of the finest examples of flat-woven textiles in the world. It is double-sided, with a distinctive composition and characteristic motifs. In the past, every household in Chiprovtsi had a loom — the entire town lived through this craft: men tended the sheep, while women wove the carpets.
The Chushkarev family participates in THE NEW VALUABLE: Objects of Bulgarian Contemporary Craftsmanship with two large-scale carpets:
The Three Pillars (1990) – wool, classic Chiprovtsi weaving technique, 200 × 300 cm
Heritage (2022) – wool, flat-weave technique, 160 × 230 cm
Design: Yoana Chushkareva; Weaving: Yordanka Yosifova; Yarn dyeing: Velika and Miroslav Stoevi.
The Three Pillars (1990) / Photography: Rosina Pencheva
Heritage (2022) / Photograpy: Rosina Pencheva
“It is a true honor for me to have the Chushkarev family take part in this exhibition. When masters with such deep roots recognize the meaning in a new perspective on craft, it’s a clear sign that we’re moving in the right direction. I am grateful and happy that the Chushkarev family is part of THE NEW VALUABLE,” shares the exhibition’s curator, Rosina Pencheva.
Screenshot from homofaber.com/en/artisans/tchushkarcheto
The weaving family is also featured in the Homo Faber Guide, included on the recommendation of curator and Homo Faber ambassador Rosina Pencheva. Homo Faber — a global platform for contemporary craftsmanship supported by the Michelangelo Foundation — is a partner of the exhibition and an important international bridge for Bulgaria’s craft scene.
General view of the exhibition "THE NEW VALUABLE" at the Etar Museum / Photography: Rosina Pencheva
Organized by the Etar Museum, THE NEW VALUABLE explores contemporary Bulgarian craftsmanship as a living cultural heritage, showing how traditional techniques can be reinterpreted through modern design and artistic expression.
The exhibition design for THE NEW VALUABLE is by arch. Antonina Ilieva and the team at PONY Architects, while the graphic design is by Kostadin Kokalov of Frank Studio.
The exhibition presents 41 authors in total and can be visited until November 15, 2025, at the Etar Museum.
General view of the exhibition "THE NEW VALUABLE" at the Etar Museum / Photography: Rosina Pencheva
