RUMEN GASHAROV, Anniversary Painting Exhibition 08–26.05.2026

RUMEN GASHAROV

Anniversary Painting Exhibition

May 8–26, 2026

Rumen Gasharov is an artist with a remarkable body of work. His journey in the arts began in the mid-1950s when he graduated from the first class (Diploma No. 1) of the Sofia Art High School. As early as the 1960s, after graduating from the Academy of Arts, and through the mid-1970s, Gasharov had already boldly established his artistic presence, and over the course of seven decades, he has convincingly proved himself to be a very interesting and important artist on the Bulgarian art scene, a thoughtful creator with a unique sensibility, inimitable and surprising, possessing a distinctive perspective, a characteristic, unparalleled style, and socially engaged messages.

In the words of art critic Chavdar Popov: “Gasharov is a painter in whom the intellectual approach and what we call “naive” coexist in a paradoxical way. His natural evolution leads him logically from the painting to the object… He readily employs collage and assemblage (…), embodying the principles of modern painting… At the same time, in some of his most captivating canvases, the artist indulges in subtle, delicate tonal harmonies and reveals the most enchanting qualities of pure painting.”

Over the past few years, Rumen Gasharov has presented a series of impressive solo exhibitions: from the major retrospective “Visits to the Muses” (2016) at the House of Humour and Satire in Gabrovo to mark his 80th birthday, through the more intimate “Retro-spectives” (2020) and “Drawings” (2023) at the Stubel Gallery in Sofia, to “Paintings and Drawings” (2024) at Danovo School, organised by the Historical Museum in Perushtitsa… But the culmination of these exhibitions was undoubtedly the extensive “Bruto – Netto” (December 7, 2022 – February 12, 2023) at the Sofia City Art Gallery, curated by Adelina Fileva and Stanislava Nikolova — an exhibition that earned Gasharov the prestigious “Vladimir Dimitrov – The Master” National Award for Painting, which he won for the second time in forty years.

Maestro Gasharov’s current debut at “Arte”, organised on the eve of his 90th birthday, is an eloquent gesture of respect from the prestigious gallery toward the brilliant talent of this significant Bulgarian artist and a priceless gift for its distinguished audience… This exhibition can also be seen as a kind of overture to the large-scale retrospectives already planned and eagerly anticipated in connection with this notable anniversary, scheduled for June and October at the Plovdiv City Art Gallery and in Sofia, at the Union of Bulgarian Artists on 6 Shipka Street, respectively.

The selection at the Arte Gallery includes works from Rumen Gasharov’s studio spanning nearly all periods of his career: masterful drawings such as the early “Self-Portrait” (1954), works like “Beer for Two” and “Girl with a Black Bowler Hat” (1969), “Pastoral” (1973), the third painting in the “Gross – Net” series (1985), the romantic “Dance in the Forest” (1992), “Cyclist” (1998), and other intriguing works created between the 1960s and  1990s, as well as exhibits such as “Behind the Curtain” (2000), “On the Sofa” (2003), “Sleeping Venus” (2008), “After a Study by Degas” (2010), and others from more recent times…

The group of works in this relatively more private, more intimate exhibition has been carefully curated, and in its entirety, its quality and substance are sufficiently expressive to make us rediscover Rumen Gasharov as a poet of our everyday life and its main characters—the little people in their various more prosaic or more lyrical roles.

Or we will sense how (in the words of Adelina Fileva) “…his creative sensitivity and alertness create the new images of the times, which seem to naturally complement the narrative of the city, the people, the environment, the relationships…”

Or we will realise that (as Ruja Marinska writes) “If we look deeper, we will see that in Gasharov’s approach to humanity there is an understanding of the intrinsic value of the individual, a conviction that the little person is greater in their humanity than the grand idea.”

Or will we be able to find an answer to the question we might ask ourselves, just as Ilian Lalov did: “I have always wondered what exactly makes Gasharov’s works so powerful and impactful? And the answer, in my view, is that thematically they are inspired by the local context – that is, they are lived experiences and are ruthlessly truthful, yet not imitative, because his artistic language is highly personal, inimitable, at times hyperbolised, yet immanent and implicit in his themes, and this transforms them into organic works in which everything is subordinated to the idea, and even the form is meaningful. Gasharov paints existence as it is, critically or ironically, but clearly, truthfully, here and now.”

I share Ruzha Marinska’s view that it is impossible to imagine the complete picture of contemporary Bulgarian visual art without the work of Rumen Gasharov. If we accept as absolute truth Nikolay Rainov’s brief definition that “visual art is a spiritual activity through which a person gives form to their impressions and expresses their feelings, thoughts, and experiences through visible images”, and add to it Gasharov’s revelation: “I love the common person, to whom I have dedicated many paintings. Modesty is their most characteristic trait. I like personal stories that are unpretentious and without self-aggrandisement,” then we can truly assert that Rumen Gasharov’s artistic discoveries are inspiring, and his creative individuality is remarkable.

In this sense, Rumen Gasharov’s exhibition at the Arte Gallery could help us understand life better—emotionally or rationally—to feel it, to enjoy it once again with a smile or through tears, with a smile or with tenderness…

Lyuben Genov, April 2026

We recently received some impressive news from the Pushkin Museum. Rumen Gasharov recounts:

“…On September 23, 2025, the exhibition ‘Marina Bessonova’s Selection’ opened at the Pushkin Museum, in memory of the long-time head of the department of 19th- and 20th-century French painting at the Pushkin Museum. She is the author of a number of books and art historical studies on contemporary art, including ‘Henri Rousseau and French Naïvism’. Bessonova was the first in Russian art history to formulate criteria for studying the work of naïve artists. On her initiative, the “Objects and Installations” fund for works of contemporary and experimental art was established. Looking through the photos of the exhibition, I saw that alongside the paintings from the Shchukin and Morozov collections, including works by Picasso, Matisse, Léger, Gauguin, Monet, Miró…, there were also paintings selected by Bezsonova for the “Objects and Installations” fund, including mine and those by Svilen Blazhev.

In 1984, my painting “A Visit from the Muses” was featured in an exhibition in Moscow, curated by art historian Ruzha Marinska. The painting was noticed by Marina Bezsonova, and I later learnt that it was the first work included in this newly established collection of contemporary and experimental art. I was very flattered when Ruzha Marinska told me that the Pushkin Museum had works by Rousseau and Pirosmani, but they didn’t have exactly this type of painting – a naive work with a rug collage. Some time ago, in an interview, I had said, “My mission is to bring the rug into museums.” Today I see that this has come true—a small rug from my grandmother’s home in Asenovgrad has found its place alongside the names of the greatest figures in art history.”