ICON PAINTING

Antoniya Yankova

Born on 21 November 1972 in Sofia.
Graduated from the Secondary Specialized School of Fine Arts for Stage Design, majoring in Performer-Artist.
Graduated from the National Academy of Arts, where she earned a Master’s degree in Conservation and Restoration under the academic supervision of Prof. Grigori Grigorov.
She works in icon painting, mural painting, conservation, and restoration.
Her icons are owned by private and official collectors in Bulgaria, Greece, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, England, USA, and other countries.

Ivan Zhabov

This versatile talent has manifested itself in many genres of fine art: painting, icon painting, stained glass, mosaic, wood carving, small sculpture, etc. This is not accidental, because his desire to have his works “sound” like verse and melody is fulfilled. The folklore legends from under his brush follow the rhythm and step of the round dance. People and creatures in his world move as if in a ritual dance, and the kindness and mercy depicted are reminiscent of holy icon painting.

Petya Pandilova

Petya Pandilova has been painting icons for years, by the traditional techniques of the ancient Orthodox icon painters. She painted the iconostasis in the church “Sveta Troitsa” (Holy Trinity) in Malko Turnovo. Many icons made by her can be found in Sicily and the Vatican.

Plamen Kazakov

Born in 1963. In 1982 graduated from the Specialized School of Artistic Treatment of Stone – Kunino village, Vratsa district. Worked in the fields of outdoor advertising and interior design. Since 1987 turned to fine arts, and since 1991 he has been working mainly in the sphere of iconography. The icons he’s been painting since 2005 are intended mainly for the Monastery complex of Meteora in Greece. Artworks of his are property of private collections in Bulgaria, USA, Germany, Denmark, Portugal, etc.

Ralitza Sarailieva

Ralitsa Ilieva was born in 1971 in Sofia, Bulgaria. In 1997, she graduated from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia, majoring in Conservation and Restoration. While still a student, she painted replicas of old Bulgarian icons, adhering to the old traditional icon painting technology, which she had the opportunity to learn directly from the originals found in the restoration studios of the academy. After graduating, she continued to paint icons – replicas of old Orthodox models. At the same time, she painted copies of paintings by the great Western European masters Simone Martini, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, El Greco, etc. These works are now owned by private collections in the country and abroad – Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, the USA. Ralitsa also restored many old Bulgarian and Russian icons and Western European paintings owned by private individuals and galleries, most of which are in Germany. After 1997, Ralitsa Ilieva participated in 7 consecutive icon exhibitions in Hamburg, Germany, where she was specially invited to demonstrate live the old Bulgarian icon painting and restoration techniques. The exhibition was organized with the assistance of the Bulgarian-German Society in Hamburg and with the invaluable help of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Bulgaria – Mr. Dr. Imayer and his family.