Valchan Petrov / Biography

"At least three artists of this generation deserve the definition of "genius". These are Atanas Yaranov, Dimitar Kazakov and Valchan Petrov. For all of them one powerful idea goes through all their work and throughout their lives. Artistic originality of form puts them beyond all artistic movements and schools of the time ... "

Vladimir Svintila - art critic

Murals, mosaics and ceramics

Valchan Petrov has over 15 frescos, mosaics, and ceramic murals in different towns in Bulgaria and one mural in Pescara, Italy. His works are owned by The National Gallery of Art in Sofia, The City Art Galleries in Sofia and Plovdiv.
Sixteen galleries in different towns in Bulgaria exhibit his paintings in their collections.

Biographical data

• 1947 – Born in Hissar, Bulgaria
• 1966 – Graduate the College of Fine Arts, Sofia
• 1975 – Graduate the Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia
• 1979 – Member of The Union of Bulgarian artists and IAA
• 1980 - 84 - lecturer in the Art College, Plovdiv
• 1984 - 93 – head of the City Gallery of Fine Arts, Plovdiv
• Since 1993 – freelance artist

Solo Exhibitions

• 1976 – Montana, Bulgaria
• 1979 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 1980 – Sofia, Bulgaria
• 1990 – Toronto, Canada – "Dell Bello" gallery
• 1992 – Malta – National Museum of Fine Arts, March National History Museum, March "100" gallery, June – July
• 1992 – Antwerp, Belgium – "Galerij de Lelie"
• 1992–99 – "Europ’ Art", Geneva, Switzerland
• 1993 – Sofia, Bulgaria – "Kati" gallery
• 1994 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, "Janet" gallery
• 1995 – Sofia, Bulgaria, "Seasons" gallery
• 1996 – Sofia, Bulgaria, The National Parliament
• 1996 – Budapest, Hungry, The Palace of Culture
• 1997 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, "Rompheia" gallery
• 1997 – Sofia, Bulgaria – National Gallery for Foreign Art
• 1997-2008 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, art fair "Impression"
• 1998 – Carouge, Switzerland, "Galerie de la Fontenette"
• 1999 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, "Dyakov" gallery
• 2000 – Sofia, Bulgaria, The National Palace of Culture
• 2000 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, "Baracite"
• 2000 – Barcelona, Spain, Art Expo Barcelona
• 2001 - Sant Cugat Del Valles, Spain, "Mercantic"
• 2003 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, "Georg Papazov" gallery
• 2004 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, House of NATO
• 2005 – Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Autumn Exhibitions, Old Town Plovdiv – honorable participation
• 2006 - Sofia, Bulgaria,"Arte" gallery
• 2007 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria, City Art Gallery – 50th Birthday anniversary exhibition
• 2007 - Sofia, Bulgaria, The National Palace of Culture – 50th Birthday anniversary exhibition
• 2007 - Mol, Belgium, center tKristallijn
• 2007 – Hissar, Bulgaria, the House of Culture
• 2008 - Sofia, Bulgaria, "Sezoni" gallery
• 2008 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria, "Dyakov" gallery
• 2009 – Pöchlarn, Austria,
• 2009 - Plovdiv, Bulgaria, "Dyakov" gallery
• 2007 - Jubilee Exhibition (60 years) – Town Art Gallery – Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2011 - Retrospective Exhibition - Town Art Gallery – Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2007 - Jubilee Exhibition (60 years) – Town Art Gallery – Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2011 - Retrospective Exhibition - Town Art Gallery – Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2012 - Gallery "The Mission" – Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2012 - The House of Artists, Old Town Plovdiv
• 2013 - Exhibition in European Union Headquarters, Luxembourg
• 2014 - Exhibition in European Union Headquarters, Brussels, Belgium
• 2015 - The Union of Bulgarian Artists, Burgas, Bulgaria
• 2015 - Town Gallery "Atanas Sharekov", Haskovo, Bulgaria
• 2015 - Exhibition in the Rumanian Parliament – The Unification of Bulgaria
• 2015 - Solo exhibition, ", Apolonia" – Sozopol, Bulgaria
• 2015 - Solo exhibition in "Tanetz" Gallery – Montana, Bulgaria
• 2015 - National Palace of Culture, Gallery "Seasons", Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2016 - "Jordan Radichkov's World" - "Tanetz" Gallery – Montana, Bulgaria
• 2016 - Solo exhibition in the Bulgarian Cultural Centre – London, UK
• 2016 -2017 National Historical Museum, Bojana, Bulgaria – Bridges of light (accompanied by artefacts from the Thracian and Christian periods found in Bulgaria)
• 2017 - Gallery "Forum", Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2017 - Jubilee Exhibition – Town Art Gallery – Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Other partisipasions

• 1989 – Fourth Annual International Exhibition of Miniature Art, Canada, Toronto, "Dell Bello" gallery
• 1990 – First International Painting competition, "Henry Tanas" gallery, Toronto, Canada
• 1992-93 – Sosiete des Artistes Francais, Grand Palais, Paris, France
• 1993 – Sosiete des Beaux-Art, Grand Palais, Paris, France
• 1993 – Bulgarian Art, Strasbourg, France
• 1993 – Bulgarian Art, UNESCO, France
• 1993-94 – Europe Art, Avignon, France
• 1994 – "Prista" gallery, Washington, USA
• 1994-95 – "Orama" gallery, Thessaloniki, Greece
• 1994 – University Gallery, Cincinnati, USA
• 1994 – International Competition – Murals, Pescara, Italy
• 1998 – "Revival" gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 1999 – "Dyakov" gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2002 – "L’Union" gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2003 – "Philippopolis", Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2004 – "George Papazov" gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2003-2004 - Exhibition, the island of " Saint Ahil", Greece
• 2005 – Participant in selection for the First world contemporary art competition, Foundation "Onasis", Greece
• 2005 –"George Papazov" gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2006 – "Seasons" gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2006 – "George Trak" gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2006 – "Lavren" gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2008 - "George Papazov" gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2015 - Annual National Exhibition of The Union of Bulgarian Artists, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Mayor's Award
• 2016 - "Interior and Still life", The Union of Bulgarian Artists, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2016 - Group exhibition "Arsenal" Gallery, "Resonan" The Union of Bulgarian Artists, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Awards

• 1989 – Grande Prix – Fourth International Exhibition of Miniatures, "Dell Bello" Gallery, Toronto, Canada
• 1990 – Grande Prix-First international Painting Competition, "Henry Tanas" Gallery, Toronto, Canada
• 1993 – First Prize for painting for Foreign Participants of the Sosiete de Beaux-Art – Grande Pallais, Paris, France
• 1994 – Second Prize in the First International Competition for Murals of Academia D’Abruzzo, Pescara, Italy
• 1994 – Silver medal for paintings of Prezident region Provence-Alpes Cote D’azur, Avinion, France
• 1996 – First prize for paintings, Forum Flandro-Bulgaricum, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 1994-96 – First Prize in Annual Competition for Miniatures, Art Addiction Gallery, Stockholm, Sweaden
• 1997 – First Prize – Expression de l"Ineffable – Orva Foundation, Holland, The National Gallery for Foreign Art
• 2000 – First Prize, The Fifth Art Exhibition, The National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2004 - First Prize – Wine Cellar "Todoroff" competition, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2004 – Special Award Stara Zagora -The First Balkan Quadrinalle, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
• 2007 – The Golden Quill, Macta gallery and Radio FM Classic, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2008 – Special Award of Dyakov gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2009 – Special Additional Award, Municipality Pöchlarn - hometown of Oscar Kokoschka, Austria
• 2016 - Award from The Union of Bulgarian Artists, for overall contribution to Bulgarian Culture
• 2016 - Awarded an Honorary membership, Bulgarian Academy of Science and Arts
• 2017 - Annual Exhibition of The Union of Bulgarian Artists, Plovdiv, Bulgaria Awarded "Honorary Citizen", honour award
• 2017 - Jubilee exhibition – member of Fresco section for 40 years Exhibition with Matei Mateev , Bulgarian accession to NATO, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Valchan Petrov’s works are owned by museums and private collections in: Mexico, Brazil, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Holland, Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia, Hungry, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Portugal, Russia, Lithuania, Canada, Turkey, Malta, Greece, Japan and Switzerland.