Milko Bozhkov

Every painting of Milko Bozhkov is an ingenious game call, where you can join and experience exultation, glowing joy, sometimes pain, but all these feelings are authentic. This is probably due to the expressive impression of his works on the collectors who are tempted by his paintings. "One picture is good when you draw it with pleasure", is the opinion of the artist. This is a possible insight into the rich works of Milko Bozhkov. Later, in an interview, he says that he values the playing moment and uses it in his creative process. He also says that he shares the "decadent" view of art as an illusion or, more precisely, as an inner release of the unbearable burden of being.

Here we can quote the founder of the philosophy of surrealism, the French poet Andre Breton and his opinion that: "Surrealism is based on the belief in a higher reality, some associative forms, the omnipotence of sleep, the free play of thought. The freedom to move into the parallel universe of the subconscious, where the charming symbols, signs, and images are built, and recreate them in even brighter and more influential paintings, is not this a game of higher order?".

Even with his first works, Milko Bozhkov has been assigned to the most avant-garde stream (or group) in Bulgarian contemporary art. And accordingly condemned by the "dogs" of power - guards of socialist realism. "It's not important to live with the thought that you have to be a great artist, but to discover your uniqueness." - this is his understanding of the creativity manifested in the painted magic of childhood of Milko Bozhkov. The game continues for already 60 years. The child in the artist and the artist in the child compete not to surpass the world standards in fine arts, but to penetrate deeper into the treasury and to unleash their unique experiences. This is the fairy tale in the spiritual workshop of the avant-garde artist Milko Bozhkov.

Short information about the artist Milko Bozhkov:

Born in the village of Resen, Veliko Tarnovo - 1953.
He graduated from the Art School in Sofia in 1972.
He graduated Painting at the National Academy of Arts in 1978.
He later returns to Varna and becomes part of the spiritual space of "Vulkan" - the famous artistic workshop in 1980. In 1982 he becomes a scholar of the French Government in Paris.

Milko Bozhkov has over 100 solo exhibitions in Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and France. The artist has more than 150 participations in group exhibitions and biennales of graphics and paintings in Bulgaria, USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Russia, former Yugoslavia.

His works are owned by: The Congress Library - Washington, USA, The Museum of Art - Portland, Oregon, USA, The National Library of Paris, The Gallery of Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, The Museum of Contemporary Art - Szczecin, Poland, The Nelimarka - Alairivi, Finland, The National Art Gallery in Czech Republic, Peter Ludwig Collection - Budapest, Hungary, Hugo The Vouten Collection, Belgium, Svetlin Roussev Collection - Sofia, Pleven, The National Art Gallery - Sofia, The Museum of the Small Art- Bonsseur, Belgium and many other prestigious galleries and private collections.

The artist is a winner of a number of prestigious painting awards, among them the National Award for painting Zahari Zograph (2002) and the National Prize for painting "Vladimir Dimitov - The Master" (twice). In May 2016 Milko Bozhkov was awarded the most prestigious Bulgarian medal "St. St. Cyril and Methodius "- first degree for mertis in the Bulgarian art and culture.