Simona Bunardzhieva (simoneone) is a Graphic Artist & Illustrator, Maker, Speaker and Educator.

She has over a decade of experience in the art of perfecting illustration and lettering. Her work has been used for packaging, editorial, children’s books, branding, murals, events and installations. 

In 2020 she also launched her product-based business Papergem, where she creates sustainable gift wrap & stationery. Check out her collection of tissue and wrapping paper, greeting cards, notepads and more.

Patterns and textures, neon shades and pastel colors, Arabic art, attention to detail, animal species and organic geometry fascinate her, which she thinks is noticeable in her work. She gets her inspiration from different art fields like fine art, fashion, architecture and film, although she believes no human work can ever surpass nature's creations.
She believes in all religions, but to be a good person - most of all.
If she wasn't an artist she would have been a horse rider.
Food and dogs make her happy, not necessarily combined.
Born in a small town in Bulgaria she currently lives and works in San Francisco, California.

Proud member of the AOI, and WNW.

SELECTED CLIENTS:

BIO:
2012 - present - Freelance Artist & Illustrator, simoneone
2019 - 2020 - Designer at Facebook, Menlo Park, CA
2017 - Short Course Tutor, CSM, London, UK
2015 - 2017 - Graphic Artist & Illustrator, UAL, London, UK
2014 - 2015 - Graphic designer & Illustrator, CSM, London, UK
2013 - 2015 - MA Communication Design at CSM, London, UK
2012 - 2013 - Freelance Illustrator & Animator at AtNovus
2012 - 2013 - Internship at Vasava, Barcelona, Spain
2011 - An exchange semester at SVA, New York, USA
2010 - 2011 - Internship at CB'a Graell, Barcelona, Spain
2009 - 2012 - Studied Advertising Art Direction at IED, Barcelona, Spain
2009 - Internship at Ogilvy Group, Sofia, Bulgaria
2008 - Internship at Leo Burnett, Sofia, Bulgaria
1990 - Born in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

SPEAKING & EXHIBITIONS:
2023 - Cannes Lion showed at House of Web, San Francisco
2022 - Group show at Art Partout, Antwerp, Belgium
2022 - Speaker at NFT San Francisco, Women in Web3
2022 - 1st Dibs NFT Show for NFTNYC, 368 Studio, New York
2022 - Speaker at OFFF Barcelona
2020 - Selected panelist for Art for AIDS benefit auction
2019 - regular speaker for Adobe’s Edge Gain courses
2018 - Artspan Beneficial Art Auction, San Francisco, CA
2018 - "Send Me Across the Sea" group exhibition at Book & Job Gallery
2017 - Group exhibition at The Marker Hotel
2017 - Guest speaker and mentor for young artists at Nepris
2017 - multiple times guest speaker at Adobe Generation Pro online course
2017 - Speaking and hosting workshops over a few days for Adobe at Bett Show, London
2016 - multiple times guest speaker at Adobe Generation Pro online course
2016 - collaborative installation with Field, Tate Modern, London, UK
2015 - Christmas Art Fair, Chalton gallery, London, UK
2015 - 'Merge' student event, group exhibition, 90 Main Yard, London, UK
2014 - 'Advents Salon' group exhibition, Dog & Pony Gallery, Munich, Germany
2014 - 'Closing London Fashion Week Talents Showcase' group exhibition, Cuckoo Club, London
2013 - 'Vanity' solo exhibition at Belchica, Barcelona, Spain
2013 - 'Encyclopedia Organnica' solo exhibition at Belchica, Barcelona, Spain
2012 - group exhibition at the National Art Gallery, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
2001 - solo exhibition at the National Puppet Theatre, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria

PRESS & PUBLICATIONS:
2022 - Video interview with Lambs & Dragons
2022 - Best packaging design, DesignRush
2020 - Working Not Working, Interview & Film
2020 - The Athletic, online article
2019 - Design Calendar, Print & Online Interview
2019 - VoyageLA Interview
2018 - Interview for Chapter 89
2018 - Packaging of the World featured Kiki's Cocoa
2017 - Interview with Secrets of Green
2017 - Paredro.com wrote about a project I collaborated on: "Merge Yourself with Your Work"
2017 - My Offensive phone case was featured in a NOWNESS film about sustainable fashion
2017 - Friday Feature interview by London Local Team
2017 - type.gang featured my "8" design
2017 - 36daysoftype featured my "6" design 
2017 - Illustration Advice with simoneone, by Jamie Whiffen
2015 - Blueprint Graduates to Watch, online & in magazine
2014 - makamo.es, art & design portal
2014 - 'Literaturen Vestnik', Bulgarian political newspaper
2014 - Banitza.net, online political magazine
2013 - La Calculadora Rusa, online news portal
2013 - Metropolitan Barcelona, city guide
2009 - 'Capital Light', Bulgarian newspaper
2009, 2008, 2006 - 'Puteki', high school magazine