An exhibition entitled "From Paris to Paris" by famous artist Ivan Stratiev that has opened in Sofia. It is the fruit of his stay in French capital the city and two months of work in the ateliers of the Union of Bulgarian Artists in Cité Internationale des Arts. The reason behind the title of the exhibition is the fact that it is on display in the Paris Gallery in Sofia. More from Ivan Stratiev:

"Staying in a city like Paris is a very positive experience for artists like me. The mere contact with the city, with the huge number of museums and exhibitions brings just amazing experiences and emotions for many people and for every artist, of course. The opportunity to spend more time there, in a studio on the banks of the Seine, 10 minutes away from the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral was indeed a great privilege. And in fact, the greatest temptation is that you want to see museums and galleries, but you also need time to draw.”

Ivan Stratiev immersed in the atmosphere of the city and met many artists, musicians and writers from across the world.

"One of the traditions of this place is organising days of open doors. One can find information on the page of Cité Internationale. And in fact, anyone could go to someone else’s atelier or invite people to their studio. This turns into a small exhibition. So, I organised one such day of open doors which provided me with opportunities for contacts and new experiences. I experienced emotions that one can only feel there."

How does the artist define his style of painting?

"I use various styles and I do not stick to a particular style. I have realistic works as well as surreal and methaphysical ones. When an artist is in Paris, images and information hit them with such a force that being a slave to your own drawing habits is pointless. In this exhibition I present more experimental works. One can see landscapes, as well as cubist and impressionist works. Of course, not all the works that are shown in the current exhibition were created in Paris, but most were drawn there."

This is not the first exhibition of works by a Bulgarian artist created in Paris on display in the Paris Gallery in Sofia. Years ago Valentin Topalov had the chance to work in Paris and had an exhibition in the gallery, too.

English: Alexander Markov