Life is love, family is what matters most, creativity – all-consuming – with thoughts such as these revolving in my mind, I came out of the Sredets gallery in Sofia after the official opening of the 5th exhibition of works by sculptor Georgi Lyubomirov Georgiev. After contributing to prestigious forums in Denmark and China, the young artist is now displaying his most powerful works in Sofia.

But when does an artist feel emboldened to make generalizations?

“When things have happened that allow for generalizations. I recently became a father for the second time and this is one of the most important things to have ever happened in my life. People who come to the gallery will see what things matter to me.”

A “Family” engrossed in the new life. “The kiss”, “Paolo and Francesca”, “The Boat” – these are the names of some of the figurines showcasing the romantic aspects of our lives. But there are darker, more philosophical overtones like “The Temptation”, “Towards…”, “Crucifix”, or some very specific ones such as the “Rescue of the Bulgarian Jews” monument. The works are made out of black iron, but have an ethereal, soft quality.

“Georgi has sculpted a fictile structure, an elegant image and his own brand of ascetic aesthetics,” that was how foremost Bulgarian artist, Academician Svetlin Rusev describes the works by the 43-year old sculptor. But how important is the appraisal of the “big dogs”, as Georgi often calls his mentors:

“It is a big boost to one’s self-esteem. Academician Svetlin Rusev and Prof. Emil Popov are among the most important people to me, they are such an authority. In our day it is very difficult but very important for any artist’s work to be referred to as an individual achievement. For me, it all began when I was very young – seven or eight years old. It was difficult to start with sculpture right away, so I began with drawing and then painting. At secondary school I graduated woodworking. But then when you read the book about Michelangelo, that tips the scales towards sculpture – at least that was how happened with me.”

Georgi is an artist who realizes the world doesn’t begin or end with him, so he has never stopped studying. He has such fascinating stories to tell about the geniuses of sculpture, that even if you know absolutely nothing about this form of art, you would be tempted to want to find out more.

“Talent means you have to be ready to sacrifice a great deal if you want to be an artist. Anyone can learn to draw or make a decent sculpture. It is difficult to say who is better than the rest. But people who do not carry the spark of talent just give up because it is so difficult to make a living out of it,” says Georgi Georgiev and explains that there are many ways to make your mark in Bulgaria but that for a young sculptor connecting with real connoisseurs and collectors is a difficult thing. “In the 21st century in Bulgaria that is really down to luck.”

But how does an artist arrive at his own technique and style?

“It is not easy because whatever you might do, it always turn out someone else has done it before you. I would like to thank Academician Rusev for saying that I now have a style that is recognizable. How does one arrive at that? I chose ten people from history to learn from. They are very different: Michelangelo, Rodin, Giacometti, the Bulgarian classics. You start to see things with their eyes – how they would do it. Because every artist has taken family as a theme, but looking back in time, there are no two works alike. That means each one of them has put something of their own selves into it. And so, I try to learn from these people, I see the individual through the works they have left us – the touch, the character, what kind of person he was, the way he looked at things.”

What kind of person does Georgi Lyubomirov Georgiev want people to know him as after seeing “Life is Sculpture”?

“I would again like to quote Academician Svetlin Rusev who helped me arrange my works at the gallery. He is the biggest authority in this and has been curator of numerous exhibitions around the world. We arranged the pieces, he sat down, took a look around and said: “As I see it, the boy is very much in love.” That was such a nice thing to say because it is true. And the fact that it can be seen just by looking at the works, the fact that I have succeeded in showing love exists in black iron – well, that is a wonderful thing.”

English version: Milena Daynova