About

The classical firmness and philosophical insight in the mystical realms of Angel Iliev are the first to meet us, should we stand in front of his work. Will we become witnesses of a confession in what seems to be "still life", will his landscape tell us a dramatic tale, will his images beg to be redeemed from their secrets, or will his visions open our eyes to revelations? We understand this once we step into his paintings. Apart from their radical influence and undeniable virtuosity, all these pieces are remarkable above all for the author’s ability to build them in a perfect collaboration of three ingredients that define class: high spiritual conceptuality, solid basis of meaning, and mastery in balancing the use of expression. His canvases discreetly breathe a ceaselessly yearning mutuality that appears to be an obsessive element in his art. Inspired by the Renaissance ideal and driven impetuously into his own unique trajectory, his brushmanship sabres all our attempts to define it in our familiar styles, even though we could see the surreal plots (touching the edge of fantastic realism), the baroque techniques, the impressionist attitude to light and colour, the expressionist swift of an idea, or the cubism style geometry of the Universal Principle sounding as basso ostinato throughout the flesh of all his works, making them not soaring pointless, but stepping on the bottom of a divine profound. Not belonging to a specific time or dimension, Angelo does not recreate, he creates, instead. He brings to existence brand new worlds – all of them accessible and captivating for both the connoisseur and the client.

Bio

Born in 1968 in Sofia, Bulgaria. He lives and works in London. He is one of the two Bulgarians who exhibited works at auction for Sotheby's. The other one is Christo (Hristo Yavashev).

Participant in numerous exhibitions and competitions, some of which in New York, Basel, and London. Works mainly oil and acrylic on canvas and wood. His paintings are sold among a wide range of connoisseurs. They are stored in private collections and galleries. They can also be seen here.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I love talking, but I am happiest when someone experiences my paintings. Why this is so and what makes me feel this way are questions I would like the viewer to ask themselves.

As a child, when I first joined an art club, I felt that I had found my place. Throughout my life, despite moments of doubt, I have been grateful to take part in something that, to a great extent, feels beyond this world. I am inspired by the idea that, through a two-dimensional painting, I can invite the viewer into a three-dimensional space—and, even more so, to share a world that, I hope, goes beyond three-dimensionality. I am drawn to what already exists but remains incomprehensible, invisible, and unrecognized.

My medium has always been drawing, canvas, or wooden board. There is something special in the act of gazing, in the interplay of colours, in illusion itself. For me, the surface of the painting is like a friend who enjoys spending time with you. But it is also an adversary that torments you, refusing to “let you out,” because to recreate space, you must first overcome this opponent.What helps me in this battle is my inner drive for discovery.. However, when I search, I sometimes lose my way. Yet I feel that what helps me return has been with me since the very beginning of my artistic practice.

My fascination with art and my desire to refine its expression often led me to the hospital in Tolbuchin, the city where I grew up. This was in the 1980s. I would ask doctors and nurses for discarded X-ray images. I wanted to see the structure of the human body—to see the bones, some of the tissues, and their texture. The shades of gray mesmerized me. I still remember the feeling of holding an X-ray film up to the light. Even now, my desire to see beyond and to understand the penetrating space and the invisible synergy of things continues to inspire me.

In the Book of Ezekiel, we read about a field covered with human bones. There, God asks: "Can these bones live?" Anyone would say it is impossible, yet in the story, they do come to life. Bones are a structure, but in this case, they are a remnant of vanished life. It is astonishing how they return to serve flesh and breath once more. I want those who stand before my paintings not to see a frozen image but glimpses of another time—of past and future moments.

In my latest works, as I continue to explore new means of expression, I also seek to delve deeper into the structure of things. I want to perceive the architecture of space—both within and beyond it—and, at the same time, to compare it with the foundations and structural elements of mountains, fog, the sea, and the rest of creation. I want to recreate this transcendent geometry, to share it along with the light that flickers along contours and volumes, and, I hope, reflects from the windows of the invisible.