POZNATOTO

THE FAMILIAR

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Current status:Research Notes: 4
Participants: 17
Experiments: ongoing
Cards developed: 36Independent ResearchNo institutional affiliation.
This project is developed independently through public experiments and open documentation.

Method

The methodology is currently under development through ongoing experiments and field observations.

Research

What is The Familiar?The Familiar is an independent research project exploring how recognition changes perception.The project investigates what happens when ambiguous visual material gradually becomes familiar. Can introducing recognizable structure alter not only what we see, but also how we emotionally experience the same image?Rather than beginning with established theories, the project develops through experiments, field observations, and open documentation.Current FocusThe current phase explores:• ambiguous visual perception• recognition and familiarity• emotional response to visual stimuli• metaphorical associative cards as research tools• the relationship between prior experience and interpretationResearch NotesThe development of the project is documented publicly through ongoing Research Notes.Each note records observations, questions, experiments, and theoretical developments as the project evolves.Read the Research Notes →

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ParticipateThe project is continuously collecting data through public perception studies.Your participation helps shape future experiments and publications.Take part in the current study →

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Practice
Explore The FamiliarThe printable card collections are practical tools developed within The Familiar research project.Each card begins as an abstract hand-drawn sketch and gradually evolves into an image containing multiple recognizable forms. Rather than offering fixed meanings, the cards encourage observation, recognition, and reflection.Every person may discover different shapes, follow different visual paths, and build different associations.The practice is not about finding the "correct" interpretation.It is about observing how recognition itself changes perception.Current CollectionThe first edition includes:• Set I – 12 metaphorical associative cards• Set II – 12 metaphorical associative cards• Set III – 12 metaphorical associative cards• Complete Collection – 36 cards, Companion Book, and a printable storage boxAll collections are available as high-resolution printable PDF files.From Sketch to PerceptionEvery card starts with a simple hand-drawn sketch.No object is planned in advance.Recognizable forms gradually emerge through observation, refinement, and visual exploration while preserving the original ambiguity of the drawing.The sketches shown below are part of that creative process.Available on EtsyThe complete printable collections can be downloaded through the official Etsy shop.View the collections →

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Every finished card once looked like this. Recognition was discovered—not drawn.

What is The Familiar?

The Familiar is an independent research project created by artist and researcher Dilyana Teneva.It began with a simple observation:Before we recognize something, we simply see it.The moment recognition appears, memory, prior experience, and personal associations begin to shape perception.This project explores that moment.Through hand-drawn ambiguous sketches, metaphorical associative cards, field experiments, and public research notes, The Familiar investigates how familiarity emerges—and whether changing visual perception can influence the way we experience uncertainty.Every drawing starts as an abstract composition rather than an illustration. Recognizable forms are discovered gradually, allowing perception itself to become part of the creative and research process.The project combines art, observation, experimentation, and open documentation.Rather than presenting finished answers, it develops through continuous testing, practical sessions, pilot studies, and published Research Notes.The Familiar is both a creative practice and an evolving research journey.Thank you for being part of it.