Sofia , 11.02.2008 - 27.02.2008




In 1937 DechkoUzunov was appointed Professor at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia. At the time, at an unusually young age for a professor - only 38, he was already a distinguished painter with many awards. His studio in the Academy quickly became the scene which gave rise to the artistic accomplishments of the most talented Bulgarian painters.

The exhibition “THE PAINTERS’ MASTER” brings together part of them as a laconic overview of some major stages in the development of Bulgarian painting in the last decades - Dechko Uzunov – the Professor in the National Academy of Arts, and the painters whom he enchanted for good with his far-reaching artistic dash or even only with his colorful presence.

The exhibition turned into a convenient occasion for us to peak into the studios of these artists. The experience is like a fast-frame display of whole chapters of the history of Bulgarian art in the 60s and 70s, which ushers us further into present-day developments. The teacher himself is undeniably one of the key figures in Bulgarian 20th - century art in general. From the refined aesthetics of Symbolism and Secession transformed through the “National Art” movement, through modernistic penchants and affinity to national themes, to his late expressionistic attempts, Dechko Uzunov managed to keep a praiseworthy balance in his work without betraying his artistic nature.
Time, merciless for some, became his ally. His name proved to be a timeless constant. The Master became not only the professor of several alumni, but the teacher of painters in general. His presence is still vivid today.

Dechko Uzunov’s students now are just as varied and colorful, as only bright individualities can be, while nevertheless each of them has preserved a part of the philosophy and ideology of the teacher and still remembers their contacts.

We do not need to look for a whole school or group of followers. Evidently they have all succeeded in learning the most important thing from their master - art is the eternal quest for one’s self, for others and for the surrounding world. Many of them have themselves turned into a role-model for future generations. This is why the exhibition can also be viewed as an attempt for tracing the main sources of many phenomena in contemporary Bulgarian art.

Svetlana Kuyumdzhieva

__________________________
EIBANK Gallery
2, Slavyanska str.
Sofia
Bulgaria
TEL : +3592 93 99 280
skuymjievahq.eibank.bg
gallery.eibank.bg