New York, London, Florence, Miami… the exquisite abstracts of Bogdan Dyulgerov have graced the walls of galleries and art fairs around the globe, establishing the Bulgarian artist as a much sought-after creative talent. So, in securing Dyulgerov for its latest exhibition, 111 Art Gallery has pulled off something of a coup. Times of Malta talks to the artist behind the new solo show Why Abstract? about uplifting and entertaining audiences with his colourful compositions.

The Process (2019), acrylic on canvas 120cm x 100cm

There are times when even the most accomplished artworks can inexplicably leave us unmoved. For some artists, our emotions are not necessarily their intended target, perhaps it’s our intellect they prefer to stimulate instead.

So when art does actually make us feel something, we often can’t put our finger on why. Luckily, when it feels good, we don’t need to understand quite how the artist has hacked our happy hormones in order to enjoy the feeling, and it’s better still when we find out they did it on purpose.

According to Bogdan Dyulgerov “art is all about love and emotions”. The Bulgarian artist finds great pleasure in creating his art and wants his audience to also experience the positive emotions he feels during the process of making. Unusually for a visual artist, Dyulgerov sees himself as an entertainer, tasked with ‘performing’ for his audience.

Dyulgerov is a master of texture, colour, composition and tone, but these visual elements are merely the manuscript paper for his colourful symphonies, which come to life in some intangible place between the artwork and the senses of the beholder. Warm, resonant and flushed with colour, his ‘musical’ paintings are sensual and enigmatic creatures, seductive strangers arousing and caressing the senses, gradually revealing themselves as they bask in our gaze.

Untitled 167 (2018), mixed media on canvas 100cm x 120cm

And now art lovers in Malta can experience Dyulgerov’s latest work in the flesh. In the lead-up to his first solo Maltese show which opens this week, Dyulgerov shares the story of his artistic journey and talks about his unique approach to making art.

Can you tell us about your background and your earlier life before you came to Malta?

I was born in 1965 in Sliven, one of the large cities in Bulgaria, where I graduated from high school. I then studied at the Medical College in Varna, majoring in dental technology. Since then I have been practising my profession as a dental technician for 30 years. I have been married for 33 years and have one son. The reason I came to Malta is that 12 years ago my wife chose to work as a midwife at Mater Dei Hospital and I followed her.

Alchemy (2018), mixed media on canvas 100cm x 120cm

How and when did your interest in art begin and how has your artistic practice evolved since then?

My first contact with art was during the years of my early childhood when I was constantly and daily looking through albums with paintings by great world-famous artists that my parents had at home. There was no colour TV, no internet and no children’s comics at the time, so looking at these albums was very exciting for me. One of my earliest memories is how my mother and I made handmade cards that we sent to friends for the holidays.

I consciously started painting at a very early age and I haven’t stopped until now. My interest in sculpture came later in my school years. I first started working with wood, wax and plaster, but bronze is still my favourite material. I started casting while studying at the medical college in Varna city.

What drives you to make art and how do you see your role as an artist?

I believe that art is a form of energy and the artist’s role is to materialise this energy, to give it shape. It’s a kind of a stream of information that passes through the artist, as if through a portal. When the portal is open for me, I start to create. The information flows, time is not enough, and I often paint several pictures simultaneously.

I perceive myself as a musician. I strive to create music for the eyes

Throughout the years, I have gained experience that helps me recognise in which particular moments it is important to create. I never force the moment or the nature of the process. I let the pictures happen and resonate. Most of my paintings are abstract and when I work, I aim to combine colours and nuances which ‘love each other’ in such a way that the painting will echo beautifully.

Light Perfume (2020), acrylic on canvas 60cm x 70cm

I perceive myself as a musician. I strive to create music for the eyes. I am often asked whether the artist or the sculptor in me prevails. It usually turns out that after a long period of painting, I start to feel depleted and at that point I know that it’s time to create a sculpture. These cycles have been repeating for all my life. As for sculptures, I avoid concrete anatomical forms in order to reinforce the emotions and mood which should emanate from the figure. My desire is for my audience to feel the positive energies and emotions in my paintings and to feel entertained, as I was feeling when I was painting them.

You have exhibited at prestigious galleries and art fairs all over the world. What are your personal career highlights and why?

My first solo exhibition in 1997 at Sirakov Gallery, Veliko Tarnovo in Bulgaria was a very important and exciting moment in my artistic career. In 2001, for the first time, I was invited to hold a solo exhibition of  sculptures from the foreign gallery, Gallery Aktuaryus, in Strasbourg, France. The exhibition was a great success and had a lot of sales. In 2004, I had the opportunity for a solo exhibition of paintings and sculptures in the very famous first private art gallery in Bulgaria, Gallery 8, where some of the greatest Bulgarian artists have exhibited. I have received many invitations from galleries and art fairs in Europe and the US. I see each exhibition as an important and exciting event.

Untitled 171 (2017), mixed media on canvas 100cm x 100cm

How do you decide where to exhibit and how do you balance your local and international exhibitions?

Sometimes this is a difficult decision. Almost every week I receive invitations from galleries, fairs, biennials or art magazines. Fortunately, accessing the galleries’ websites via the internet is easy, in this way I can see how they work, then I decide whether to accept the invitation. This applies to local and international galleries.

Your exhibition Why Abstract? is about to open at 111 Art Gallery.  Can you tell us about the show and what visitors to the gallery can expect?

I am very happy about my upcoming exhibition at 111 ART Gallery. When I visited the gallery for the first time I felt that this was the perfect place for the presentation of my paintings. The gallery has an extensive space, a highly-professional team and is an excellent organisation. My wishes and my expectations for the upcoming exhibition are for my works to meet a wider audience. I believe that each one of my artworks has its own life and the artist studio is just the beginning. I have always been quite happy when a work of mine finds the right person to love it, and it reciprocates this love. At the end of the day, art is all about love and emotions.

Alchemy (2018), mixed media on canvas 100cm x 120cm

Can you tell us about your previous exhibitions in Malta and how you are feeling about your first solo show here?

After my first Maltese exhibition at Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta in 2011, I had two more group exhibitions: The Great Masters of the Future in 2013 at The Cathedral Museum Crypt in Mdina and another in 2017 at San Anton Palace in Attard. The exhibition at 111 ART Gallery is a very exciting event for me since it is my first solo performance in Malta. Therefore, I very much hope that the upcoming event will be successful, so the collaboration with 111 Art Gallery will continue in the future.

How do you hope the show will be received by visitors to the gallery?

My desire is for my audience to feel the positive energies and emotions in my paintings and to feel entertained as I was feeling when I was painting them.

Angelo Dalli, co-founder and director at 111 Art Gallery

As a gallery we are committed to our driving principles of innovation, creativity and accessibility. We are constantly looking to advance the careers of talented contemporary artists, both local and foreign, taking advantage of our ever growing international connections. We are open to both established and emerging artists like Bogdan. Bogdan’s minimal abstracts caught my eye personally and I’ve found that there is depth and a lot of meaning in his simple, yet studied brushstrokes.

Angelo Dalli

Ruthie Tucker, executive director curator at the Amsterdam Whitney Gallery, New York. Photo: Amsterdam Whitney Gallery

The innovative abstract expressionist paintings of Bogdan Dyulgerov are motivated by a need to connect internal emotions with the external world. The alchemy of colour defines the atmosphere of Dyulgerov’s paintings as each colour and form lyrically harmonises and vibrates like chords in a concerto. Resonating with a syncopated glow and radiating artistic vibrations filled with light, he seeks to establish visual harmony through colour, composition and varying brush strokes.

Ruthie Tucker

Why Abstract? opens on August 21 and runs until September 4 at 111 Art Gallery, Triq il-Gnien, Ta’ Xbiex. For information, contact 9930 3207, visit www.111art.gallery or www.facebook.com/111artgallery. For more information on Bogdan Dyulgerov, visit www.bogdansartwork.com, facebook.com/BogdanArt, bogdansartwork on Instagram or contact the artist by e-mail at bogdanartwork@gmail.com.