On May 15, at 19:00, the "2.0" Gallery in Sofia opens doors for Stanislav Trifonov's sixth exhibition, entitled "Life is a Study." Stanislav Trifonov aka Nasimo is one of the pioneers of East European street art culture and one of the most renowned graffiti masters. Nasimo started with illegal graffiti or the so-called bombing at the beginning of the transition period back in 1995, which also cost him several arrests. He improved his skills studying art at the Veliko Turnovo University. Today his works can be seen in the streets of Bulgaria, Canada, Russia, Germany, Greece, Serbia, Turkey, China and others. The exhibition is special because it presents Nasimo’s path in the last 25 years:

"I have been nourishing this idea for 3-4 years, but I was not ready with all the works. I was not ready mentally. But the moment has finally come," the artist says.

At the opening of the exhibition the book "25 years on Nasimo: Sketchbook" will be presented. It contains sketches dating back to 1995, compositions, oil paintings, created through the "alla prima" method, projects and photos of their realization on walls.

The first graffiti works by Nasimo were just an expression of his rebellious thinking. Over time, he started feeling the need to share accumulated life experience. "I understand that when a person walks after the crowd, he goes on a road leading to nothing. “In my works, I'm trying to show that everyone has to go their own way," Nasimo said in an interview with BNR back in 2014. Now he has told us more about the lessons we need to learn in order to be happy.

"The main lesson is learning to love ourselves and the world around us. Love is the most important lesson and my biggest inspiration. Unselfish love is the most difficult lesson, because usually everyone wants something in return. But when one does not learn their lesson, they fail the exam of life and make the same mistakes over and over again.”

Love, beauty and the intersection between them are the topics found most often in Nasimo’s works. "Quite often we confuse beauty and love with lust. But where is the truth? That's what I've always been interested in." The artist believes the meaning of life is in asking questions and seeking answers. “This road has no end and when a man stops searching for answers, their development stops, too.”

In addition to being a graffiti artist Nasimo is also known as a gallery artist, fresco artist, designer... Which of these activities requires more dedication?

"Everything requires a lot of dedication. I always try to do my best in every sphere I work in. My friend, conductor Yordan Kamdzhalov, says efforts that reach a level of 99.9% are a compromise. If you want to be successful, you must give 100% of yourself."

What is the inspiration behind this dedication?

"Inspiration, according to Picasso, exists, but it finds you while you work. I cannot wait for inspiration to come alone. I start working and inspiration comes with that. I have often started painting on a wall with no idea what's going to come out. Sometimes I even feel panic because I do not know what to do. But I start working and things begin to happen.”

Nasimo has been traveling a lot, working in Bulgaria and around the world, meeting with different cultures. He believes that this way he has been extending his horizons, accumulating experience and knowledge. "One also learns not to get too attached to things," Nasimo says. We asked him if that caused loneliness. "Perhaps sometimes it does," the artist answers. "Anyway, we came to this world alone and we'll go away alone. Perhaps this is also part of the lessons we are about to learn."

English: Alexander Markov