by FLM
From contemplation to movement, from canvas to silhouette – Lulu unveils her most personal exhibition in the heart of Cefalù
-
Prof. Lyubomir Stoykov: “A magical symbiosis between art and design!”
From July 12 to 27, 2025, in the Octagono Santa Caterina gallery, located right on the Piazza Duomo in Cefalù – the pearl of Sicily’s northern coast – the exhibition “Dialogue Between Canvas and Textile” by Bulgarian artist and designer Lilyana Petrova – Lulu, is taking place. The event showcases 21 paintings, each one serving as inspiration for an original garment from her artistic fashion brand BYLLU.
The exhibition is organized by the Municipality of Cefalù with the support of local cultural partners and features the participation of Italian artist Mario Taviano, who has created an additional installation. This piece does more than merely accompany the show – it is inspired by the Octagono Santa Caterina gallery itself and exists in dialogue with Lulu’s exhibition.
The project goes beyond the bounds of a traditional exhibition – it is an aesthetic and emotional journey, where each garment is a transformation of a painting, and each painting – the beginning of a form, silhouette, and experience. The harmony between canvas and textile unfolds as a visual dance between image and volume, between intuition and material. “This is a dialogue between dream and reality, beyond borders, deep within the soul,” shares the artist and designer Lulu.
The themes of the exhibition encompass the universal human experience – time, space, love, loss, yearning, and downfall. These are expressed through rich colors, organic forms, and garments that not only clothe but tell stories. The BYLLU collection does not create fashion for display windows – it creates clothing for the soul. For Lulu, the exhibition in Cefalù is a dream come true. A decade ago, during her first visit to the town, she stood in front of the cathedral and wished that one day she could present her art there. Today, that dream is a reality.
After many years of work in costume and design, Lilyana Petrova – Lulu founded BYLLU in 2022 with a clear vision: to take art outside the gallery and transform it into a living, accessible emotion – into fashion poetry that is worn by the body and experienced by the soul.
Prof. Lyubomir Stoykov describes Lulu’s appearance in Sicily as “a magical symbiosis between art and fashion.” In his foreword to the Italian catalogue, Prof. Stoykov writes:
“Lulu steps – metaphorically speaking – on the global artistic tradition in fashion, as well as on the fashion metamorphoses of art. She consciously or subconsciously draws inspiration from world masters of the needle and thread, of magical tailoring and astonishing silhouette, such as Elsa Schiaparelli, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Valentino, Gianni Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Dolce & Gabbana – who all blend art and fashion design in a genius way.
Vincent van Gogh, Marc Chagall, and M.C. Escher also hold a very special place in her heart and creative arsenal. Her favorite themes – cosmos, earth, humanity, love, passion, and longing – are refracted in her work through the prism of light and color!”