Exhibition Opening: Power and Passion

Exhibition Opening: Power and Passion
with a glass of wine

Authors: Ivan Minekov & Paola Minekov

MINIMUM DONATION FOR ENTRY TO ALL EVENTS: £5

The exhibition will be on display until Tuesday 16 October.

About the exhibition:

October brings a rare opportunity to view the work of the famous Bulgarian sculptor Ivan Minekov alongside the stunning paintings of his London-based daughter, the artist Paola Minekov, as they join forces to exhibit their work together for the first time in the UK. The exhibition ‘Power and Passion’, hosted by the Bulgarian Cultural Institute London, will display more than a dozen sculptures and over twenty paintings and prints.

Commenting on the opportunity to exhibit together for the first time in the UK, Ivan Minekov said:

“This exhibition is interesting because it clearly shows the development of the artistic tradition from my generation to my daughter’s. Every generation of artists lives in its own time and reflects its own aesthetics and concepts. Paola’s Undercurrents series explores issues that are unique to her generation of women in today’s society.”

Paola added, “I have carried on my father’s sculptural artistic tradition which has inspired me stylistically, especially its elongated forms, sense of balance, and sense of space, and translated it into my paintings. He has taught me to add dimension and an extra layer of depth to my work. The Undercurrents series has even been described as ‘monumental’. I have taken his teaching and used it to express my own inner, feminine world to the public through my art.”

Ivan Minekov – Biography:

The internationally renowned Sculptor Ivan Minekov has been described as’ a contemporary master of modernism, in its multitude of styles’ (Claudia Moscovici).

Born in Bulgaria, Ivan is a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts Nicolae Grigorescu in Bucharest, Romania. A student of Paul Vasilesku, Ivan Minekov quickly distinguished himself throughout Eastern Europe in the domain of sculpture. In 2010 he was appointed Director of the School of Fine Arts in Sofia.

Minekov has undertaken many international commissions including a bust of Dimitar Peshev for the Council of Europe, a portrait of Professor Denton Cooley, founder of the Texas Heart Institute, and Shipka, a sculpture that was launched into space as part of a Bulgarian and Russian joint venture. His work was exhibited at the European Parliament in April this year.

Paola Minekov – Biography:

A talented artist based in London, Paola has painted several major series, including the vibrant Dancers and Circus series, and dynamic Cityscapes. Her Undercurrents series, also on display, explores the psychology of human relationships.

Paola’s latest work, Ballet Repose, is an unusual portrait painted in acrylic of a resting ballerina which is based on life drawings of a member of the Royal Ballet. Paola describes it as ‘Capturing the power of the female dancer, the strong woman behind the role, even when she is relaxing and being herself.’

In the spring Paola took part in a major London public art project when she was invited to paint one of 200 giant eggs in the 2012 London Faberge Big Egg Hunt. Her egg, ‘Colourful World’, depicted a brightly coloured map of the globe and strongly appealed to both adults and children. It raised over £4,000 for charity in the Big Egg Hunt online auction.