ARTIST STATEMENT
As an artist I have always been inspired by cultures from around the world with the intention and ambition to connect them and show the world as a unity without borders. Within my work, I search for new and different ways to apply ancient techniques and crafts to create contemporary art that connects the past with the present.
I was living and working in Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Italy (Milan) and now holding residency in The Netherlands (Amsterdam). In my career so far, I had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva, Shanghai, Milan, Toyota city, Chicago amongst others.
My work fuses traditional with the contemporary and The East with the West back together. Different Eras and communities in the world have in common that they all represent their local knowledge, customs and beauty in their own way. As they inspire me to make artistic research and work, I feel a responsibility to give something in return. Therefore, my work focuses on showing how cultures are connected by their effort of binding people, nature and artifacts together, making our planet a united place.
Using natural, recycled and upcycled materials (even from my previous projects), and applying ancient crafts is putting my work in a new context of sustainability and multidisciplinary art. For most of my projects I research and apply techniques from an era when our planet was still clean. Focusing on nature, framing nature, and reminding us that we are part of nature I am creating awareness on the importance to keep the planet clean.
Cultural appropriation statement
Cultural exchange and appreciation are core values for me as an artist. Learning to understand a culture that is different from your own is important to broaden the individual's perspective and connect with others. Developing the skill of cultural or cross-cultural competence is challenging, but worth the journey as it is an important way to provide an opportunity to share ideas, knowledge and cultural awareness.
If you aspire to appreciate instead of appropriate, you’re already on the right track. I want to remind people to be mindful, still- do not stop being curious, keep learning and appreciating other cultures. Do it properly, with guidance and mindfulness and you will be the change needed to uplift, strengthen and amplify the world around us. My goal is to share ideas with others in order to help others learn more about the world.
As an artist I have always been inspired by cultures from around the world with the intention and ambition to connect them and show the world as a unity without borders. Within my work, I search for new and different ways to apply ancient techniques and crafts to create contemporary art that connects the past with the present.
I was living and working in Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, Italy (Milan) and now holding residency in The Netherlands (Amsterdam). In my career so far, I had numerous solo and group exhibitions in Paris, Amsterdam, Geneva, Shanghai, Milan, Toyota city, Chicago amongst others.
My work fuses traditional with the contemporary and The East with the West back together. Different Eras and communities in the world have in common that they all represent their local knowledge, customs and beauty in their own way. As they inspire me to make artistic research and work, I feel a responsibility to give something in return. Therefore, my work focuses on showing how cultures are connected by their effort of binding people, nature and artifacts together, making our planet a united place.
Using natural, recycled and upcycled materials (even from my previous projects), and applying ancient crafts is putting my work in a new context of sustainability and multidisciplinary art. For most of my projects I research and apply techniques from an era when our planet was still clean. Focusing on nature, framing nature, and reminding us that we are part of nature I am creating awareness on the importance to keep the planet clean.
Cultural appropriation statement
Cultural exchange and appreciation are core values for me as an artist. Learning to understand a culture that is different from your own is important to broaden the individual's perspective and connect with others. Developing the skill of cultural or cross-cultural competence is challenging, but worth the journey as it is an important way to provide an opportunity to share ideas, knowledge and cultural awareness.
If you aspire to appreciate instead of appropriate, you’re already on the right track. I want to remind people to be mindful, still- do not stop being curious, keep learning and appreciating other cultures. Do it properly, with guidance and mindfulness and you will be the change needed to uplift, strengthen and amplify the world around us. My goal is to share ideas with others in order to help others learn more about the world.
Valentin Bakardjiev
SELECTED
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 El Camino - The Road at the Embassy of Mexico, with the support from the Embassy of Bulgaria, Den Haag, the Netherlands
2023 El Aumento – The Expand - Rakursi Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2023 INDIGO - The Mission gallery- State Institute for Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia, Bulgaria
2022 The Butterfly Effect- Journey, Art Gallery Serdica, Sofia, Bulgaria
2022 Le Grand Bleu- New Horizons, Contrast Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2020 The Butterfly Effect, Gallery Amstel 41, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2019 Salon Presentation, Genèva, Switzerland
2018 Le Grand Bleu, Gallery Amstel 41, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2017 Amsterdam Denim Days- Le Grand Bleu, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2009 The Nature, Barneveld, The Netherlands
2008 Galerie Sir Jacobs, Tegelen, The Netherlands
2008 Gallery Irida, Sofia, Bulgaria
2005 Gallery Bojadiev, Burgas, Bulgaria
2004 and 2005 Artegabriella gallery, Busto Arsizio, Milan, Italy
2001 Secrets Excellence - Dominican Republic
1999 and 2000 Gallery # 5 Chicago, USA
1997 Draka gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
1993 and 1995 Mai gallery, Sliven, Bulgaria
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 - 2024 EARTH SPEAK: Giving Voice to Paper- International Biennial for Paper Fibre Art - National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, Nantou, and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan
2023 The POWER - Alina Art Foundationin Paratissima, Turin, Italy
2023 Bulgarian Triennial of Mini Textile, Sofia Pres Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2023 Letters for Future II- The Future Space for Sustainability and Science, Karlsruhe, Germany
2023 Finding Natural Beauty in North- Treehouse NDSM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2023 7th Riga International Triennial of Textile and Fibre Art, Tradition & Innovation, theme QUO VADIS?, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design and the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE, Riga, Latvia
2022 EAST WEST- Bulgarian/German art project- BIENNALE- SPAF, Finesse Gallery-Sofia, Bulgaria
2022 GNA, Biennale, Green Renaissance Project/Wisdom of Homo Symbious- Palbok Art Factory, Jeonju, South Korea
2022 Paper Biennale- Transition "The Cube Universe" Museum Rijswijk, The Netherlands
2022 Geumgang Nature Art Pre-Biennale, Nature Art Cube Exhibition, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
2022 10th Annual Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival (RAKFAF), Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
2021 Shanghai international Paper Art Biennale, Feasts on Paper, Fengxian Museum, Shanghai, China
2021 IAPMA Paper Art Exhibition “APPROACH”, Toyotashi Mingei-kan, FC Museum, Toyota city, Japan
2021 Geumgang Nature Art Pre-Biennale, Nature Art Cube Exhibition, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
2021 XXIV Mini Textiles Salon, Centro Argentino de Arte Textil- CAAT, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2021 SPAF- Amateras, National Pallas of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
2018 Art Paris Art Fair, Le Grand Palais, Paris France
2018 Affordable Art Fair, Kromhouthal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011 Masters of Luxury, RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2008 and 2011 Open Art Fair, Utrecht, The Netherlands
2005 Sala del Bramante, Rome, Italy
2005 Premio Open Art, Rome, Italy
2002 The textile art in Bulgaria, Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery Sofia, Bulgaria
1998 International Symposium for Plastic Arts - Via Pontica - Iasna Poliana, Bulgaria
1998 The Balcony Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
1997 National Palace of Culture - Bulgarian illustration, Sofia, Bulgaria
1995 Pals gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
1995 Draka gallery, Sofia Bulgaria
1992 Akrabov gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
1992, 93, 94 and 1995 Vitosha gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
1992 Opus gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
1990, 91, 92, 94 and 1995 Union of Bulgarian Artists-UBA “Shipka 6” gallery The Spring & the Autumn Salon
1989 Sirak Skitnik gallery, Sliven, Bulgaria
AWARDS
2021 Winner SPAF- Amateras, the best Bulgarian artist, Le Grand Bleu, National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
2014 Winner BASGrafiekPrijs, the best graphic art with the silkscreen 'Directions of Life' Utrecht , The Netherlands
2011 Second prize, Contest 'Silver' for the 25th Anniversary of Business Art Service -
Utrecht , The Netherlands
2004 Golden Medal - Fine Art Competition after the name of C. Frigerio in Corsico, Italy
2023 El Camino - The Road at the Embassy of Mexico, with the support from the Embassy of Bulgaria, Den Haag, the Netherlands
2023 El Aumento – The Expand - Rakursi Art Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2023 INDIGO - The Mission gallery- State Institute for Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia, Bulgaria
2022 The Butterfly Effect- Journey, Art Gallery Serdica, Sofia, Bulgaria
2022 Le Grand Bleu- New Horizons, Contrast Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2020 The Butterfly Effect, Gallery Amstel 41, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2019 Salon Presentation, Genèva, Switzerland
2018 Le Grand Bleu, Gallery Amstel 41, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2017 Amsterdam Denim Days- Le Grand Bleu, Westergasfabriek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2009 The Nature, Barneveld, The Netherlands
2008 Galerie Sir Jacobs, Tegelen, The Netherlands
2008 Gallery Irida, Sofia, Bulgaria
2005 Gallery Bojadiev, Burgas, Bulgaria
2004 and 2005 Artegabriella gallery, Busto Arsizio, Milan, Italy
2001 Secrets Excellence - Dominican Republic
1999 and 2000 Gallery # 5 Chicago, USA
1997 Draka gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
1993 and 1995 Mai gallery, Sliven, Bulgaria
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 - 2024 EARTH SPEAK: Giving Voice to Paper- International Biennial for Paper Fibre Art - National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Institute, Nantou, and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei, Taiwan
2023 The POWER - Alina Art Foundationin Paratissima, Turin, Italy
2023 Bulgarian Triennial of Mini Textile, Sofia Pres Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2023 Letters for Future II- The Future Space for Sustainability and Science, Karlsruhe, Germany
2023 Finding Natural Beauty in North- Treehouse NDSM, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2023 7th Riga International Triennial of Textile and Fibre Art, Tradition & Innovation, theme QUO VADIS?, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design and the Art Museum RIGA BOURSE, Riga, Latvia
2022 EAST WEST- Bulgarian/German art project- BIENNALE- SPAF, Finesse Gallery-Sofia, Bulgaria
2022 GNA, Biennale, Green Renaissance Project/Wisdom of Homo Symbious- Palbok Art Factory, Jeonju, South Korea
2022 Paper Biennale- Transition "The Cube Universe" Museum Rijswijk, The Netherlands
2022 Geumgang Nature Art Pre-Biennale, Nature Art Cube Exhibition, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
2022 10th Annual Ras Al Khaimah Fine Arts Festival (RAKFAF), Ras al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates
2021 Shanghai international Paper Art Biennale, Feasts on Paper, Fengxian Museum, Shanghai, China
2021 IAPMA Paper Art Exhibition “APPROACH”, Toyotashi Mingei-kan, FC Museum, Toyota city, Japan
2021 Geumgang Nature Art Pre-Biennale, Nature Art Cube Exhibition, Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea
2021 XXIV Mini Textiles Salon, Centro Argentino de Arte Textil- CAAT, Buenos Aires, Argentina
2021 SPAF- Amateras, National Pallas of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
2018 Art Paris Art Fair, Le Grand Palais, Paris France
2018 Affordable Art Fair, Kromhouthal, Amsterdam, Netherlands
2011 Masters of Luxury, RAI, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2008 and 2011 Open Art Fair, Utrecht, The Netherlands
2005 Sala del Bramante, Rome, Italy
2005 Premio Open Art, Rome, Italy
2002 The textile art in Bulgaria, Union of Bulgarian Artists gallery Sofia, Bulgaria
1998 International Symposium for Plastic Arts - Via Pontica - Iasna Poliana, Bulgaria
1998 The Balcony Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
1997 National Palace of Culture - Bulgarian illustration, Sofia, Bulgaria
1995 Pals gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
1995 Draka gallery, Sofia Bulgaria
1992 Akrabov gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
1992, 93, 94 and 1995 Vitosha gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
1992 Opus gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
1990, 91, 92, 94 and 1995 Union of Bulgarian Artists-UBA “Shipka 6” gallery The Spring & the Autumn Salon
1989 Sirak Skitnik gallery, Sliven, Bulgaria
AWARDS
2021 Winner SPAF- Amateras, the best Bulgarian artist, Le Grand Bleu, National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
2014 Winner BASGrafiekPrijs, the best graphic art with the silkscreen 'Directions of Life' Utrecht , The Netherlands
2011 Second prize, Contest 'Silver' for the 25th Anniversary of Business Art Service -
Utrecht , The Netherlands
2004 Golden Medal - Fine Art Competition after the name of C. Frigerio in Corsico, Italy
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS, CONSULTANCIES, LECTURES, AND JURY SERVICE
2024 Artwork Gallery Magazine
for my project The Butterfly Effect, Kyiv, Ukraine
(link)
2023 Publication by the Union of Bulgarian Artists for my exhibition 'El Aumento - The Expand' at the Rakursi Art Gallery. Text by the curator Mila Angelova,Sofia, Bulgaria (link)
2023 Consultant for Heather Kohlmeier’s (UW-Madison SoHE) research and publication on history of indigo and paper art for Hand Papermaking Magazine, The Language of Color, USA
2023 IAPMA bulletin-issue #62- Confluence- *LGB- The Cube Universe
2022, 23 and 2024 - juror at APEXART , 291 Church Street, New York, United States
2022 Insights of an Eco Artist, Interview (link), online magazine
2022 Foundacion Tortilla de Maíz Mexicana, Online publication (link) -The Butterfly Effect- Xalapa, Mexico
2022 IAPMA bulletin-issue #61- Fredom- *Le Grand Bleu
2021 Indigo Shade Map - (link) - Indigo
2021 lecture ”VII International Scientific and Practical Conference " Socio-cultural Trends in them Development of Modern Design and Art" , Kherson National Technical University, Ukraine
2021 IAPMA bulletin- issue #60- Power- *Le Grand Bleu
2020 Bluebee Magazine-issue #5- Hyacinth- *The Butterfly Effect, London, United Kingdom
2019 lecture, V International Scientific and Practical Conference " Innovative cultural and artistic aspects in the modern world" , Kherson National Technical University -Ukraine
2018 Amsterdam Newspaper- april 5/2: publication- interview- Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2017 Denim Freaks- Online magazine (link) - Le Grand Bleu
2013 Capolavoro di uomo, masterpiece of man- Washington DC, USA
2013 Book cover of the Bulgarian translation of “Damned strong love” by Dr. Lutz van Dijk
2011 25 years Business Art Service- Utrecht, The Netherlands
2005 Sala del Bramante, Premio OpenArt- Roma, Italy
2002 The Textile Art in Bulgaria- Sofia, Bulgaria
2023 Publication by the Union of Bulgarian Artists for my exhibition 'El Aumento - The Expand' at the Rakursi Art Gallery. Text by the curator Mila Angelova,Sofia, Bulgaria (link)
2023 Consultant for Heather Kohlmeier’s (UW-Madison SoHE) research and publication on history of indigo and paper art for Hand Papermaking Magazine, The Language of Color, USA
2023 IAPMA bulletin-issue #62- Confluence- *LGB- The Cube Universe
2022, 23 and 2024 - juror at APEXART , 291 Church Street, New York, United States
2022 Insights of an Eco Artist, Interview (link), online magazine
2022 Foundacion Tortilla de Maíz Mexicana, Online publication (link) -The Butterfly Effect- Xalapa, Mexico
2022 IAPMA bulletin-issue #61- Fredom- *Le Grand Bleu
2021 Indigo Shade Map - (link) - Indigo
2021 lecture ”VII International Scientific and Practical Conference " Socio-cultural Trends in them Development of Modern Design and Art" , Kherson National Technical University, Ukraine
2021 IAPMA bulletin- issue #60- Power- *Le Grand Bleu
2020 Bluebee Magazine-issue #5- Hyacinth- *The Butterfly Effect, London, United Kingdom
2019 lecture, V International Scientific and Practical Conference " Innovative cultural and artistic aspects in the modern world" , Kherson National Technical University -Ukraine
2018 Amsterdam Newspaper- april 5/2: publication- interview- Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2017 Denim Freaks- Online magazine (link) - Le Grand Bleu
2013 Capolavoro di uomo, masterpiece of man- Washington DC, USA
2013 Book cover of the Bulgarian translation of “Damned strong love” by Dr. Lutz van Dijk
2011 25 years Business Art Service- Utrecht, The Netherlands
2005 Sala del Bramante, Premio OpenArt- Roma, Italy
2002 The Textile Art in Bulgaria- Sofia, Bulgaria
COURSES AND EDUCATION
2020- New York University-J.M. Tisch, NYU Hospitality and Tourism Industry Essentials
2017- Amsterdam Museum Academy – Hospitality 2
1989- Dimitar Dobrovitch High School of Arts - Sliven Bulgaria
ART MEMBERSHIPS
2020-present IAPMA - International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists
2004-present The group of C. Frigerio, Corsico, Italy
1995- present The Union of Bulgarian Artists
1989- present The group of Sliven artists Bulgaria
2020- New York University-J.M. Tisch, NYU Hospitality and Tourism Industry Essentials
2017- Amsterdam Museum Academy – Hospitality 2
1989- Dimitar Dobrovitch High School of Arts - Sliven Bulgaria
ART MEMBERSHIPS
2020-present IAPMA - International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists
2004-present The group of C. Frigerio, Corsico, Italy
1995- present The Union of Bulgarian Artists
1989- present The group of Sliven artists Bulgaria
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art bakard
