International Print Biennial Varna
Permanent Exhibition
Eternal themes, New forms
The permanent exhibition “Eternal Themes - New Forms” showcases works from the gallery's collection by Grand Prix of the City of Varna winners from the International Print Biennial, who over the decades have established Varna as a significant center of graphic art. This prestigious selection traces the evolution of graphic art through the lens of temporal concepts, reflecting the shifting aesthetic and stylistic pursuits of artists from the late 20th century to the present day. The collection does not merely document history; it explores the boundaries of graphic language, which constantly redefines its means of expression. It bridges the artistic heritage of the past century with the dynamics of today, transforming the gallery into a living space for dialogue between generations and their perceptions of time and space.
Olesya Dzhuraeva is among the leading names in contemporary world graphics,
having transformed the linocut technique into a perfect tool for capturing and
recreating light, urban melancholy and the intimate personal world. Winner of
dozens of international awards, she is a master of detail and the virtuoso blending
of nuances in linocut. Her work is a visual study of the silence of everyday life –
from the delicate shadows on the pavement to the monumental silhouettes of
cities. And to this day, her works continue to be a benchmark for the combination
of technical perfection and emotional depth.
Tomiyuki Sakuta is an artist with an original and recognizable style, creating
surreal, often grotesque worlds populated by fantastical creatures. He offers a
radical interpretation of portraiture, in which surrealist abstraction transforms the
human image into a universal emotional language of inner conflicts and fantasies.
His etchings are technically complex and rich in detail, exploring the subconscious
and the limits of imagination. His work is a virtuoso combination of Japanese
precision and bold surrealist expression.
Hristo Kardzhilov is a remarkable Bulgarian graphic artist, whose art is
distinguished by a highly psychological and detailed character. Kardzhilov creates
surreal worlds in which detail is the leading factor, and the suggestion often
borders on the fabulous and mystical. He is a master of allegorical graphics and
illustration. Winner of the Grand Prize of the International Biennial of Graphics,
he is a master of narrative surrealism in the depiction. His expressive and dynamic
style leaves a lasting mark on contemporary Bulgarian graphics.
Toshio Yoshizumi brings refined Japanese aesthetics into the realm of
contemporary abstraction. Balance and minimalism are exquisitely present in his
graphics. Using precise, intaglio techniques, he explores the nuances of dark and
light, creating visual poetry that conveys the spirit of Zen and the technological
perfection of Japan.
Robert Jančovič is a prominent figure of the Slovak school and a student of the
legendary Albín Brunovský. His style combines magical realism with psychological
depth and exceptional technical precision in mezzotint and etching. Jančovič
constructs worlds where reality and dreams intertwine, earning him recognition
in the most prestigious printmaking forums worldwide.
The Austrian master woodcutter Erich Steininger is known for his monumental
abstract structures. His approach to the matrix is almost sculptural – he
“liberates” the forms from the wood, creating dynamic networks of lines that
pulsate with organic energy. His work is a benchmark for modern Austrian
graphics and an expression of the endless possibilities of high printing.
Georgi Lechev is a landmark figure and one of the most recognizable
representatives of the Varna graphic school. A virtuoso of linear expression and
poetic suggestion, he creates a unique visual world where ethereal lightness
gesture meets the expressive gesture. Over the years, the artist has brought more
and more power, expression and color to his works. The graphics have acquired
an abstract character, where feeling, energy and experience are leading.
Zoran Todović is a leading name in Balkan graphic art, renowned for his large-
scale and technologically daring works. He transforms traditional techniques into
a contemporary visual language, exploring the texture and architecture of the
depiction, and the geometric shapes. A laureate of numerous international
biennials, Todović creates prints that dominate the space with their powerful
energy and conceptual weight.
Simeon Venov is one of the great masters of Bulgarian graphic art, whose style is
distinguished by intellectual purity and perfect linear rhythm. His art represents a
synthesis of classical discipline and modern sensibility. A recipient of prestigious
national awards, Venov transformed the graphic sheet into a field for
philosophical metaphors, where the white space is as eloquent as the print itself.
A living legend of Czech graphic art, Jiří Anderle is a virtuoso of intaglio, in
particular - drypoint. His work is a visceral exploration of human existence, often
juxtaposing Renaissance beauty with the grotesque nature of transience. His
complex, multi-layered compositions are held in the collections of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Centre Pompidou, establishing him as one
of the most profound artists in contemporary graphic art.
Stoyan Tsanev is a leading name in Bulgarian and European graphics, whose work
is marked by powerful expressiveness and depth. Winner of the Grand Prize at
the International Biennial of Graphics in Varna in 1987, he is a master of color
etching and drypoint. His works are visual parables about the human soul,
expressed through rich texture and deep symbolism, which ranks him among the
classics of contemporary Bulgarian graphics with lasting international recognition.
The precise Zen-contemplation of Kunito Nagaoka and his “cosmic landscapes”
are a model of technological perfection, where the silence of space and
microscopic detail merge into a meditative exploration of the universe and time.
His etchings are a virtuoso play of textures, recalling the erosion of time and the
silence of ancient spaces. Nagaoka is a laureate of the world’s most prestigious
biennials. His prints are a hypnotic journey into the silence and infinity of the
cosmos.
Stoimen Stoilov is among the most influential contemporary Bulgarian artists
with a prominent international presence. As one of the founders of the
International Print Biennial, his contribution has been fundamental in establishing
Varna as a global cultural center. Recipient of the prestigious Gottfried von
Herder Prize from the University of Vienna (1991) for his lifetime achievement, he
is a master of large-format graphics and monumental expression. His art is
imbued with mythological and historical layers, where refined drawing meets the
expressive power of detail. Combining elegance and dramatism, his works are
part of the world’s most significant collections, including the Library of Congress
in Washington, D.C., and the National Library of France.
Miodrag Đurić-Dado is among the most significant surrealists of contemporary
art. His graphic work is visceral and exceptionally dense—constructed from
phantasmagorical imagery and grotesque forms that create a sense of unsettling
intensity. In his works, the organic and the chimerical intertwine in scenes of
decay and emergence, transforming the image into a field of continuous
transformation. Dado constructs his own mythology, in which life and death,
beauty and horror coexist simultaneously.
Zlatka Dabova is the undisputed virtuoso of woodcut in Bulgarian art. Her work is
organically related to folklore memory, tradition, and spirituality, all seen through
the prism of a modern graphic sensibility. Each of her engravings is a filigree
mosaic of lines that radiates warmth and humility. With her unique aesthetics and
technical perfection, Dabova elevates the black-and-white depiction to the level
of global graphic classics.
Vincent Hložník is the humanist of European graphic art and the founder of the
modern Slovak school. His work is a powerful philosophical reflection on human
existence, marked by the tragedy of war and the quest for light. Through
expressive linocut and masterful intaglio, Hložník created images of timeless
moral strength. As a teacher to entire generations of world-renowned
printmakers (including Albín Brunovský), his impact on the development of
contemporary art is colossal and enduring.
Todor Panayotov is an iconic figure who reformed the landscape of Bulgarian
graphic art during the second half of the 20th century. His style is characterized by
monumentality, refined composition, and philosophical introspection. A master of
lithography and intaglio, he transformed daily depictions and the Bulgarian
landscape into symbols of resilience and dignity. His works possess a distinctive
graphic density and a raw poetic quality that place him among the most
significant classics in our collection.