National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

In front of the Presidency

The ceremonial change of the guard in front of the Presidency marks the national and public holidays in Bulgaria. The officialchange of the guard takes place on the first Wednesday of every month at 12:00 o’clock.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.

National Gallery / The Palace
The National Gallery owns one of the most appreciable and representative collections of artworks by Lika Yanko (1928–2001). This became possible thanks to the donation gesture the artist made while still living. Whereas the two extensive exhibitions, held in 2002 and 2011, were based on the most comprehensive chronology possible, the current exhibition focuses attention on issues of her early oeuvre.
In choosing the title, ‘Journey to the Image’, we saw an opportunity to verbalise the two major threads in the exhibition. The first relates to the 1960s, the decade these artworks were produced. Lika Yanko was at the beginning of her career, and it was through the images of the object world that she sought her own truth about art. The second line traces the artist’s ‘journey’ into herself, where she was not alone. Spontaneously, rather like a playful act, or fully consciously as a quiet rebellion against the norms of official art, a small informal group of female artists launched into annual creative trips in the Rhodope Mountains, the environs of Melnik, Karlanovo, and other places. The party included Vanya Decheva, Dora Kancheva, Olga Valnarova, Mimi Veselinova, Kostadinka Tsvetkova, and Zheni Mehandzhiyska… We have no first-hand evidence of a common aesthetic platform of theirs, but, standing before their pictorial works, we may form, with a great deal of certainty, an impression of the moods that had overwhelmed them, and of the sources they followed.
We say all this clearly aware of the broadest outline of a problem in the history of Bulgarian art that has so far been only sketched out, without being supported by the necessary visualisation and professional commentary.
The exhibition does not claim to be exhaustive on this topic.
It only outlines the general silhouettes of names, events and artistic facts that have not been studied or analysed in detail. They inhabit those border or extreme zones removed from the official line, where absence, silence and insufficiency still dominate, but without them, the overall picture of Bulgarian art history will not be full and complete.
Curated by Nikolay Ushtavaliiski and Iva Veleva.

The National Gallery presents one of the most iconic figures in the history of Bulgarian art – Zahari Zograph. This first immersive exhibition introduces a new way of experiencing the masterpieces of the the museum’s collection. Harnessing new technologies, the 20-minute project, created by Senzor Studio, brings his religious and secular masterpieces to life, revealing essential elements of his creative process.
The initiative promotes Bulgarian Revival аrt, a period characterized by economic, social, and cultural growth, closely tied to the pursuit of ecclesiastical and national independence. The period traces its origins to the mid-18th century, when Paisius of Hilendar wrote Istoriya Slavyanobulgarskaya (History of the Slavs and Bulgarians) in 1762—which profoundly shaped the spiritual awakening of the population and contributed significantly to the development of national consciousness…
The exhibition features a selection of icons, drawings, copies, letters, documents, and secular portraits from the artist’s early period. It also showcases a substantive collection of murals, ranging from his earliest works—created in 1838 for the Chapel of St John the Baptist at the Church of the Holy Virgin—Annunciation in Asenovgrad—to what is considered as his “final masterpiece,” the murals adorning the narthex of the Great Lavra Monastery on Mount Athos, completed between 1851 and 1852.
Zahari Zograph emerged as a defining figure of Bulgarian Revival art. His relentlessly inquisitive artistic spirit was ahead of its era, and his extensive body of work reflects the vitality of the approaching modern age, the artistry of traditional imagery, the strength of line, and the emotive power of color.
The project is realised with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria under the Creation programme 2024.
Media partners: BTA / Bulgarian News Agency and SOF Connect.