The Sofia City Art Gallery marks the 120^th birth anniversary of one of the talented Bulgarian artists – Georgi Zhelezarov, with a large-scale exhibition. The curators show in it works from different genres:paintings, prints, drawings, sketches etc. The name is no coincidence: “Between Algiers and Sofia in Search of the Light”, as the young Zhelezarov had this dream - to get to know Egypt… More from curator Stanislava Nikolova:

“Unfortunately he tried twice, but failed to receive a visa. However, in his second attempt he managed to reach Algeria. He was pretty fast in finding a job there – a design artist in a relatively prestigious institution. The artist made good money for his living and at the same time he got involved in real art, in his own words. In the period 1926 – 1928 he grew up really as an artist – and that can be felt in his Algerian Cycle. The curious thing here is that this is the first cycle in Bulgarian art, presenting North Africa. The plots tell about this exotic Oriental country in a curious and interesting form of its life. After his return from Algeria in 1928, Zhelezarov continues to work with this great sense of color and form. The change in his approach can be clearly seen in those works, created right after that return. He started to make experiments in the sphere of painting, to pay more attention to it and in 1941 he managed to organize a second exhibition on his own in Sofia. It had tremendous success, even the Palace purchased, as Princess Evdokia liked his works. However, the artist began to gradually step away from public life with the start of the totalitarian regime in 1944. He wouldn’t stop painting up till his death in 1982, but without showing or selling his works.”

Which were the subjects he preferred?

“The curious thing is that he turned to rural lifestyle. We can often see different labor topics in his works. He loved the village, he liked the farm animals as well. We have also shown at the exhibition works which depict animals, both farm ones – sheep, goats, pigs etc. and also animals from the zoo. The family archive of the artist has preserved numerous animalistic works which show that he felt real pleasure while exploring animals. Flowers also take a major share in his work.”

Georgi Zhelezarov painted live flowers, not still life – he found them in their natural habitats – among cliffs, in the forest, in a pot. This all reveals the soul of the artist, his lyrical side.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev