VASIL KOLEV – VASSILLO
1979 Born in Sofia, Bulgaria.
2024 Head of Printmaking Department, National Academy of Art, Sofia, Bulgaria
2024 Head of Gallery and Exhibitions, National Academy of Art, Sofia, Bulgaria
2021 Associated Professor, PhD in National Academy of Art, Sofia, Printmaking Department
Since 2009 works as assistant professor in National Academy of Fine Art, Sofia, Printmaking Department
2008 Graduated Academy of Fine Arts – Venice, Italy, Department Painting
2004 M.F.A- National Academy of Art, Sofia, Printmaking Department
Solo exhibitions:
2023 – „Velizar Krstić / Vasil Kolev“ – Contemporary Art Gallery at the National
Museum, Smederevska Palanka, Serbia
2023 – ” Graphic art “, National High School of Applied Arts, Sofia
2022 – „Graphic art“- Sliven Art Gallery – “Uzunov House”
2021 – „Thief of voices“ – Prolet Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
2017 – „Penetration – My houses“ – Centre culturel, Les Carroz d’Araches, France
2017 – „Penetration – My houses“ – “Brandstater gallery”, L.A., California, USA
2017 – „Graphic art“ – Placebo – National autumn exhibitions, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2015 – Apollonia – Festival of arts – Solo exibition, Sozopol, Bulgaria
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
2025 – „DIALOGUE THROUGH ART“, Academia gallery, NAA, exhibition of teachers from the National Academy of Art, Sofia and the Faculty of Fine Arts, Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
2024 – „On paper without borders“ – Artists of the three seas- Habitat – 8-th International Artistic Forum, Lublin, Poland
2024 – „Sofia Art Fair” – Тех presented by gallery „Grafikart“
2023 – 8th Guanlan International Print Biennial, Shenzhen, China
2023 – Gray / Pink Scale 2, Academia gallery, NAA, Sofia
2023 – 9-th International Print Triennial, Sofia, Bulgaria
2023 – “Graphic Notes” – “Graphicart gallery” group, Art Gallery, Kazanlak
2022 – “Seven Out of Traffic”, Union of Bulgarian Artists, Sofia
2022 – “Graphic art”, “Anel Museum-Gallery”, Sofia
2022 – International Exhibition “Art Composition”, Belgrade, Serbia
2021 – “Dante and the Visions of the Afterlife among the Southern Slavs”, Academy Gallery, National Academy of Arts, Sofia
2021 – XXI International Biennial of Graphic Art, Varna, Bulgaria
2021 – National printmaking exhibition Pazardjik, Bulgaria
2020 – „Mirror – Face to Face“ – graphic art from Italy and Bulgaria, City Art Gallery – Stara Zagora, / Villa Caldogno, Vicenza, Italy, City Art Gallery, Burgas
2020 – International Biennial Print Exhibit: 2020 R.O.C., Taiwan
2020 – National art exhibition, City Art Gallery, Sliven, Bulgaria
2019 – 7th Guanlan International Print Biennial, Shenzhen, China
2019 – Grafein – Change: Form and Nature – Bulgarian print art, Hague, The Netherlands
2018 – Lecture and workshop in the Printmaking Department, Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China
2018 – Bulgarian- Chinese Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition, Taimiau Gallery (The Forbidden city), Beijing, China
2017 – 6th Guanlan International Print Biennial, Shenzhen, China
2017 – HANGZHOU CULTURAL & CREATIVE INDUSTRY EXPO – 11th Sino – Central and Eastern Europe Cultural and Art Exhibition – Curator of the exhibition, Hangzhou, China
2016 – Lecture and workshop in the Printmaking Department, China Academy of Art, Hangzhou
2016 – “Impresa Visiva”, Exhibition in the Cultural Center La Medusa (Este- Padova), Italy
2015- Interprint – 4th Bangkok Triennial International Print and Drawing Exhibition, Thailand
2015 – L’arte e il torchio/Art and the printing press – 8th International Graphic Art exhibition, Cremona, Italy
2015 – 18th International Biennial of Graphic Art, Varna, Bulgaria
2015 – 5th Guanlan International Print Biennial, China,
2013-14 Corpo IN/Formazione – International Graphic Art exhibition, Gallery Academia, National Art Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria, curated by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev- VASSILLO- presented- National Academy of Art, Sofia, Bulgaria, Academy of Fine Arts, Venice, Italy, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerpen, Belgium, University of Complutense – Faculty of Fine Arts, Madrid, Spain
2013 International Art Biennial, Beijing, China
2013 4-th Guanlan International Print Biennial, China
2013 I International Exhibition of Printmaking “In Search of the Lost Paradise”, Granada, Spain
2013 VI Biennial of Graphic Art “Giseppe Polanschi”, (VR), Italy
2013 – XI International Biennal- Premio Acqui, Acqui Therme, Italy
2013 17th International Biennial of Graphic Art, Varna, Bulgaria
2012 Nomination for the award for graphic art – National Competition for Contemporary Art, Allianz Bulgaria
2012 International Print Triennial, Krakow, Poland
2011 3-rd Guanlan International Print Biennial, China
2011 International Print Biennial, Varna, Bulgaria
2011 First International Printmaking Triennial of ULUS, Belgrade, Serbia
2011 Corpo Ex/Posto – International Graphic Art exhibition, National Art Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria, curated by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev- VASSILLO
2010 International Triennial of Graphic Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria
2010 International printmaking workshop and exhibition, Academy of Fine Arts, Xi’an, China
2010 Corpo Ex/Posto – International Graphic Art exhibition, San Felice del Benaco – Fondation Cominelli (Brescia), Italy, Academy of Fine Arts, Venice, Italy, curated by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev- VASSILLO
2009 Graphic art – An ambassador, Gallery of the Union of bulgarian artists, Shipka 6,
Sofia, Bulgaria
2009 V- th International Biennial of Grafic Art, Monsummano Terme, Italy
2009 Presented by the Zero Gallery – Fiera Internazionale di Varese, Milano, Italy
2009 Penetration – Bulgarian Cultural Center, Paris, France
2008 Corpo/Reo, Art Print Exhibition, De Portesio, San Felice del Benaco, Italy
2008 Refusès – Mostra colletiva ad Arsenale di Venezia, Italia
2008 Avantgarde Gallery, London, UK
2008 “Le Salon De Fevrier”- Galerie Thuillier, Paris, France
2007 Atelier Aperti”, Atelier B, Accademy of Fine Arts, Venice, Italy
2007 “Idee Nuove a Milano”- Galleria Artelier- Milan, Italy
2006 “Menu per la Colomba”-Gallery Bevilacqua La Masa – Venice, Italy
2005 International Biennial of Art Print, Varna,Bulgaria
2004 1st Art Project “Venice Village”- Palazzo delle Prigioni, Venice, Italy
2003 International Triennial of Print, Sofia, Bulgaria
AWARDS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS:
2025 – – Equal award – XXIII International Biennial of Graphic Art, Varna, Bulgaria
2023 – Award – “Guanlan International Print Prize” – 8th Guanlan International Print Biennial,
Shenzhen, China
2023 – Honorable mention – 9-th International Print Triennial, Sofia, Bulgaria
2023 – Equal award – National exhibition “Printmaking Forum”, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria
2022 – Special award “Velizar Krastich”, International exhibition, „Art Composition“, Belgrad, Serbia
2021 – Special award of the jury – XXI International Biennial of Graphic Art, Varna, Bulgaria
2021 – Equal award – National printmaking exhibition, Pazardjik, Bulgaria
2020 – Grand Prix – National art exhibition, City Art Gallery, Sliven, Bulgaria
2019 – Grand prix – Competition for classical printmaking, Gallery “Sredetz”, Ministry of Culture of Republic of Bulgaria, Gallery “GrafikArt”
2017 – Award – “Guanlan International Print Prize” – 6th Guanlan International Print Biennial,
Shenzhen, China
2017 – Mention of Honor from the jury – “Premio ex libris, piccola grafica” Santa Croce sull’Arno, Italy
2017 – 3-th Award – from National competition of printmaking, Gallery “Sredets”, Ministry of culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
2014 – Equal award – VII International Print Triennial, Sofia, Bulgaria
2014 – Award for graphic art – National Competition for Contemporary Art, Allianz Bulgaria
2014 – Honorable mention – 9-th International Print Triennial, Chamalieres, France
2014 – Award for graphic art, Biennial for Bulgarian contemporary fine art, Burgas, Bulgaria
2011 Honorable mention – 4-th International print exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey
2007 Special prize of Association of Venetian engraver – Biennial of Contemporary Art Print-
Mirano, Venice, Italy
2007 Mention of Honor VIII International Biennial of Engraving, Acqui Terme, Italy
Workshops:
2018 – China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Printmaking Department, Beijing, Conducting a workshop with students on intaglio printmaking techniques.
2016 – China Academy of Fine Arts, Printmaking Department, Hangzhou, Conducting a workshop with students on intaglio printmaking techniques.
2010 – Participation in the second International Workshop on Graphics, Xi’an Academy of fine arts, Xi’an, China;
Curatorial projects and exhibitions organization:
2024 – NTERCHANGEABLE IMAGE – Academia gallery, NAA – Graphic art exhibition by students from the National Academy of Arts, Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and Accademia di Belle Arti di Verona, National Academy of Arts, Sofia. Curatorial selection by the NHA – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vasil Kolev
2024 – Defragmentation 1.0 – Academia gallery, NAA – Graphic art exhibition by Marcin Byalas. Curators – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vasil Kolev, Assist. Prof. Zoran Mishe
2020 – “115 Years of Printmaking department in the National Academy of Arts” – Academia gallery, (part of the organization of the exhibition), NAA
2017 – HANGZHOU CULTURAL & CREATIVE INDUSTRY EXPO – 11th Sino – Central and Eastern Europe Cultural and Art Exhibition – Curator of the exhibition, Hangzhou, China
2017 – Curator of exhibition / presentation of works by students of the Printmaking department, NAA, – “Youth International Painting Exhibition”, Museum of China Academy of Art, Hangzhou, China;
2013-14 Corpo IN/Formazione – International Graphic Art exhibition, Gallery Academia, National Art Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria, curated by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev- presented in National Academy of Art, Sofia, Bulgaria, Academy of Fine Arts, Venice, Italy, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Antwerpen, Belgium, University of Complutense – Faculty of Fine Arts, Madrid, Spain
2010-11 – Corpo Ex/Posto – International Graphic Art exhibition, San Felice del Benaco – Fondation Cominelli (Brescia), Italy, Academy of Fine Arts, Venice, Italy, National Art Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria, curated by Alberto Balletti and Vasil Kolev