VASIL KOLEV – VASSILLO
Sofia, Bulgaria
Born in 1979 in Sofia, Bulgaria, Vasil Kolev – VASSILLO is a printmaker whose work is grounded in the material and conceptual complexity of intaglio techniques. He graduated from the National Academy of Art in Sofia (2004) and continued his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice (2008), where he further developed his interest in the relationship between image, process, and material.
He is currently Associate Professor, Head of the Printmaking Department, and Head of Gallery and Exhibitions at the National Academy of Art in Sofia. Alongside his academic work, he actively engages in international exchange through workshops, lectures, and collaborative projects across Europe and Asia.
Kolev’s work has been widely presented in major international exhibitions, including the Guanlan International Print Biennial (Shenzhen, China), the International Print Triennial (Sofia), and the International Biennial of Graphic Art (Varna), as well as in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Serbia, and China. His participation in these platforms situates his practice within the broader discourse of contemporary printmaking.
He is the recipient of significant international recognition, most notably the Guanlan International Print Prize (2017, 2023, Shenzhen, China)—one of the most prestigious distinctions in contemporary printmaking. His work has also been awarded Grand Prix prizes, along with numerous awards, special jury recognitions, and honorary mentions at international biennials and triennials across Europe and Asia.
His artistic practice explores memory, human presence, and the transformation of the image through the layered and irreversible processes inherent to printmaking. Working primarily with intaglio techniques, he investigates the relationship between matrix, material, and trace—where each stage of the process becomes an act of imprinting, reflection, and reinterpretation. The earlier cycle “Penetration – My Houses” examines the house as a psychological and existential space—an inner architecture shaped by memory and experience. This inquiry evolves in the later cycle “Thief of Voices – Portrait of a Friend,” where the focus shifts toward human presence as an accumulation of internalized encounters and lived time.
The resulting works function as layered accumulations of experience, in which the image emerges as both a physical imprint and a psychological trace.
In parallel with his artistic production, Kolev contributes to the development of contemporary printmaking through teaching, curatorial practice, and the organization of international exhibitions, fostering dialogue between diverse artistic and cultural contexts.