The Barber Too

“Born 4/8/66 in the village of Oresh, county V Turnovo, North Bulgaria.

1980 – accepted in the Special Fine Art School Kazanlak, Bulgaria. Studied for five years every aspect of Fine Art, orientated at the end into painting. Finished with a diploma and gold medal.

1985 – Entered the Bulgarian Army. For over two years I was positioned in the mountains in the security forces. After being relieved, I moved to Sofia where I spent over two years in The Academy of Fine Art. When very high inflation ravaged the country, the good life was over. I left Sofia because the cost of living made it impossible to continue studying. I became a free lance artist. In 1993 I came to visit a friend in the UK; while I was here, rapid political changes took place in Bulgaria. The communists were back in power and for a reason I could not go back. I have not been able to since.

I have lived in different places in the UK. Manchester, Linlithgow, Manchester, London, Manchester, and in the end Glasgow for the last four and a half years. Maybe the hectic, busy, stressful life in London made me leave England – despite the good opportunities I had in London- the good exhibitions and money, I was very unhappy. I had to spend, every two months, a few weeks in the western highlands in the village of Glencoe where I found my second home. I was long ago already disillusioned about life in the west. I was missing the warmth, the friendship and honesty of the Balkan people. Without any doubt, this affected my art deeply. My work is dark expressing the anger, depression and desire to change the way things are. A few years back, probably by the influence of Far East teaching and the practice of Martial Arts, I started feeling the urge to get away form any style. I felt an established style was killing my imagination and art. I do not feel the same as yesterday and tomorrow will be different from today, so why should I stick in my work to something I do not feel the same any more.

Glasgow is a tough city and it presents a perfect field for my work. Before i came to the Uk, I had never seen drug addicts, homeless people, unemployed people and beggars digging in rubbish bins for food. A wave of crime and so many angry and depressed people. And in the background, extremely rich individuals, who in the name of money and power will do anything. No wonder my work is dark, because I feel an artist’s job is to reflect the reality we live in.

I have largely exhibited in Bulgaria, Europe and the UK, but I do not keep a track of years, dates, prizes won and other ego lifting events, which most people stick on their CVs in order to impress others. I am happy to be healthy, capable of painting and make regular trips to Glencoe to recharge my batteries weakened by the city life.

Photography:
ARTIST’S PALETTE © Ginosphoto… | Dreamstime.com