ArtfromBulgaria.com
Stelly's
Artistic magic
The artist is the sovereign master of all the things that might pass through the human mind and, as
Leonardo da Vinci once said, if he wished to see the whole beauty that could make him fall in love, he
would be able to create it and transfer it to the human conscience through the paintings. The freedom of
choice in this magic creation and definitely personal point of view, transformed into an explicitly
completed artistic style, are among the most distinctive features that compose Stelly’s paintings.
If we go along the ways that lead to his pictures, from his graduation of the National Academy of Fine
Arts in 1993, up to now, inevitably we have to pass through a range of impressive personal exhibitions in
distinguished capital-city galleries, through his participation in the Fifth International Biennial of Art in
Cairo, the First International Triennial of Art in Sofia, through a great number of similar authoritative
forums, as well as his guest-performance in the exhibitions of the National Art Gallery, which present
the tendencies in the development of the modern art in Bulgaria. As a logical result from his actively
defended position, confirmed also by his personal representations in several European cities and as an
esteem of the strong aspects of that art, with which the young generation of Bulgarian artists states
presence in the artistic life of the country – all this justifies the prize given to Stelly by the Union of
Bulgarian Artists. A quite natural consequence is also the presence of his works of art in prestige state-
owned collections as the one that belongs to the National Art Gallery in Sofia as well as in some private
collections in Australia,Austria,Bulgaria,Germany,Italy,France,Ireland,Denmark,Norway,Scotland,Spain,
Switzerland,Japan,USA.
What gives character to his canvases is a complex amalgam of high self-exactness and expressed modern
thinking combined with a frank creative impulse, shaped in the light of the meaningful and individualized
artistic approach. The necessity to bring the content of the painting to a level, that corresponds directly
with the spectator’s mind is defended by the author through mentally understandable rather than visually
convincing ways. The plot and the external truth are successfully replaced by the intensive and precise
accomplishment of the artistic space and the sense of vividness of the representation, which naturally
guides every motion of the brush on the canvas. The richness and variation of clear and delicate colors
and shades, creating exquisite and fine harmony of the tints are the expression of the dense and
profound emotional atmosphere, typical for his artistic work.
The refined style of Stelly’ s paintings turns them from artistic works giving pure aesthetic pleasure into
intelligent messages which meaning exceeds the limited common frames of existence. They are raised to
a new different level that enables the communication with the world by the true impulses of the highly
qualitative and accepted as a destiny art.
Nikolay Boshev ,Phd- Art Critic at the National Art Gallery- Sofia,Bulgaria
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“…The paintings of Stelly differ with their delicate lyricism, fine picturesqueness, refinement and
musicality. His creative work follows the line of the modern abstraction, as hi fills it with live philosophy and
symbolism. The stile of Stelly is innerly motivated and its development follows the deepness of the spiritual
life of the artist”.
Rouzha Marinska (associate professor)
Director of the Bulgarian National Gallery
The “Word” Newspaper – 15th – May – 2002
“…The artist has his own unique style, created by his exceptional sense for geometry and vividness”;
“…The associations may be unlimited, because everybody faces himself this picturesque universe, alone
with his own thoughts and feelings”.
Blagovesta Ivanova-Art critic,
National Art Gallery,Sofia,Bulgaria
The ”Democracy” Newspaper – 24th – Feb – 1996
“…Stelly’s paintings constantly reminds – as the starry sky does – of the light and harmony in life and of the
complex meaning of chaos. And that artistic aim of his work brings it even closer to Bulgarian folk art”.
Kiril Popov, Art critic
The “Standart” Newspaper – 3th – July – 1995
“…In his canvas abstracted as regards the concrete figurativeness, Stelly comes out on a new level – that
of the intellectual judgment, being inevitably in the base of every valuable art”.
PhD Nikolay Boshev , Art critic,
National Art Gallery, Sofia