Militsa Milenkova is a Bulgarian-born silversmith, artist and designer. Raised in Athens, Greece and now based in Glasgow, her multicultural background continues to inform her creative practice. She studied Interior and Product Design at the University of West Attica (2013–2017), completed an HND in Jewellery Design at the City of Glasgow College (2021), and graduated with a First-Class BA (Hons) in Silversmithing and Jewellery from the Glasgow School of Art (2024). Militsa is the designer of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games medals and the recipient of the Clothworkers' Award from the Goldsmiths' Craft & Design Council (2026), the Edinburgh Assay Office Outstanding Student Award (2024), and the Contemporary Cutlery Award from the Worshipful Company of Cutlers (2022). Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Silver Triennial, Preziosa Young, The Culture of Cutlery at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, and several international jewellery weeks. Her work is held in private collections.

Militsa’s collection Renouncing Constraint is an ongoing series of sculptural candle holders and jewellery that explores the relationship between function and sculpture. Every piece can be used or simply displayed, standing upright or resting flat on a surface, inviting a shifting relationship between object and viewer. Beginning as a flat sheet of metal, each piece is rolled into a cylinder, laser welded and compressed under a hydraulic press using a custom-made tool. Through this process, the rigid metal folds, buckles and softens into organic, fluid forms, revealing unexpected movement and character. While the process is carefully controlled, each press produces a unique outcome, making experimentation and discovery central to the work. Inspired by the overlooked potential of everyday objects, Militsa celebrates the physical act of making. Every fold, curve and surface records the transformation of the material, inviting viewers to appreciate both the journey of its making and the beauty of the finished piece.