Art fans can see until May 30 Stoyan Iliev’s exhibition at the Art Gallery in the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. Mr Iliev shows paintings and wood plastic arts. This is so, because Stoyan Iliev had the chance to study sculpture in the classes of renowned painter and sculptor Professor Lubomir Dalchev at the Sofia Art Academy. He also studied painting in the classes of Professor Dechko Uzunov. Most of his paintings at this exhibition include beautiful female images and futuristic forms born in his own imagination.

“I grew up in the pretty village of Lilyak (lilac) near the town of Targovishte (Northeastern Bulgaria). However, I was born in the village of Zdravets (wild geranium). There are many villages in this region named after flowers such as Bozhurishte (peony, Paeonia), Tsvetnitsa (Palm Sunday or flowers’ day), etc. I grew amidst homemade rugs, aprons, looms and forges. This was my first contact with folk art. Of course, we can add to it the church icons and the art reproductions of portraits of national revival leaders and enlighteners. I remember an old calendar dating back to 1932. It was illustrated Konstantin Shtarkelov’s wonderful water colors.”

Stoyan Iliev was born in 1934. He worked in various genres: painting, engraving, illustration, wall painting and wood plastic arts (wood carving). He organized many single exhibitions and also participated in joint exhibitions in Bulgaria and abroad. Some of his works are displayed at the National Art Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, the New Bulgarian University, galleries in various municipal centers, etc. Hundreds of works by renowned painter Stoyan Iliev are possessed by private collectors in Bulgaria and abroad. He received many awards at national and international exhibitions. How Stoyan Iliev describes his painting style and why his works combine ancient and contemporary arts?

“It is a matter of education and selfimprovement. There are many more modern artists at present. I was a modern art painter for my time. Now we are being replaced by new and younger generations who discover different things. Art is a complicated matter. You would perhaps ask me how I created my works - it is a matter of internal feeling, emotions and a very personal plastic culture. Sometimes I see that I am different to all people, but you may view my works differently.”

Stoyan Iliev’ s traditional works often hide mysteries- he makes viewers find shapes which can not be seen at a first glance such as embrace, kiss, etc. His contemporary paintings are full with dynamism. Here is what renowned painter Stoyan Iliev says about his wood plastic works: “They require great efforts”. Thousands of small details in his works are subordinate to his percepts.

On the the third floor of the National Palace of Culture painter Stoyan Iliev put up some time ago an exhibition entitled Poles. This exhibition features the portraits of many renowned Bulgarian painters and sculptors. He also stretched one of his shirts there to symbolize the crucifix. “I wonder whether people realize how hard it is to make arts. You do something and then wait to see the result”, concludes Stoyan Iliev.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: Veneta Pavlova