Zahari Kamenov

Zahari Kamenov was born on 30 July, 1949 in the City of Vidin and he graduated in the fine art of painting at the National Academy of Arts in 1974.

His list of exhibitions - mostly abroad - is impressive. He shows his works in Mexico, Korea, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Japan and many others.

He has won many Bulgarian and international awards, among them the Award of the Bulgarian Art Association for drawing of the name of the famous Bulgarian painter Iliya Beshkov, the Prize of the UBA for the graphic design of in the name of Vesselin Staykov, several times the Award of the International Biennale of Graphics in Varna, The International Graphic Design Award of MIKETI Foundation Italy, The Golden Aesop Award and many more.

"The harmony between life and craft makes you free", says the maestro of painting, graphics and clay. The retrospective exhibition of Zahari Kamenov at the Sredets Gallery of the Ministry of Culture in Sofia was a first-class event in the capital's art poster some years ago. The works of the exceptional artist are a delight for the eyes and the soul, although the author does not hold analyzes or conclusions on his works. Because he interprets art mostly as the ultimate pleasure of life.

The artist contends that the exhibition is related to some events of his personal life, but they are not really important. The exhibited graphics have been made between the 1980s by 2010 - they are among the most prominent in the style, philosophy and author's messages. Zahari Kamenov shows two-cycle work - one of them is the 22 engravings of their joint bibliophilic book with Boris Hristov "Words, clay and graffiti". Zahari Kamenov makes also 22 sculptures based on the poet's rimes. In the second one are the music drawings influenced by Ryuichi Sakamoto - the great composer who created the films for the filmmakers of the most awarded European director Bernardo Bertolucci "The Little Buddha" and "The Last Emperor". "These 16 graphics are a reflection of my emotions provoked by my encounters with the culture of Japan. Sakamoto brings to a high degree the sensitivity and spirituality of the Land of the Rising Sun,", says the artist.

Zahari Kamenov is very fond of painting and he does not think that the art of painting can die or disappear with time. "I believe nothing will die and everything will be revived as a phoenix, especially painting, which will remain eternal classics," he says. What is for him the leading emotion when he paints? "Every artist is individual. For me the emotion is leading. And in this sense, it is very personal", explains the artist.