They say that ‘two forces create a dynamic tension in the work of a good artist: in the conscious mind – a restless yearning to draw closer to nature; and in the subconscious – a fear of coming too close.’ And perhaps it is precisely this tension that has marked the artistic endeavours which, for more than three decades now, have made the painter Andrey Yanev instantly recognisable. This is especially true of the body of work in which the earthly and the divine, the secular and the sacred, the mystical and the profane are bound together in a unity found in no other contemporary visual artist in Bulgaria. Having crossed the threshold of six decades, Yanev presents us with a new exhibition. It represents a unique precedent within the well-established tradition—both in Bulgaria and beyond—of artists marking milestone birthdays with large-scale shows. Positioned between a carefully considered gesture and a spontaneous decision, Counsel centres on a single, titular painting, which Andrey Yanev himself describes as a “revelation” (from the Greek Ἀποκάλυψις — “unveiling,” “drawing back the curtain”).
Departing from the traditional exhibition setting, Counsel is conceived as an intervention within the permanent display of The National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences – a challenge, but also a rare privilege and an opportunity to create a dynamic tension between past and present. The choice is anything but coincidental. On the contrary, it is a conscious artistic response to the space itself – a structure steeped in millennia of Bulgarian history. A repository of cults and religious experiences, of traces left by different societies, and a place that still preserves the spirit of its original function – the historic Buyuk (Grand) mosque, once a Muslim house of prayer at the heart of the city. The many layers of history preserved in the building testify to time’s astonishing ability to bridge—quietly, nonchalantly, even arrogantly—seemingly irreconcilable contradictions, without regard to ideology or paradigm. It is against this backdrop of invisible, often unconscious paradoxes that Counsel unfolds: a painting and a sculptural object telling an ancient story – as old, perhaps, as the human footprints left on this earth.
Counsel is a painting Andrey Yanev created exactly twenty years ago. After experiencing an unexpected vision – a “drawing back of the curtain” between Here and There – he documented what he saw, heard, and felt. No edits, no revisions: completed in a single day. The figures that disturbed him took shape on canvas. Not faces, but feet. The feet of men, of the sages from the temple, or of the elders of the Sanhedrin – who can say? And not matter, but the insubstantial shadow of an angel rises before them. For counsel – or awaiting judgement. ‘By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.’ (Genesis 3:19). In affirmation of these words, the exhibition presents a piece of wood – found, then gilded. A wooden fragment like a rib. And it is written: ‘From Adam He took a rib, to fashion Woman – and now Himself is pierced within the ribs.’[1] Thus, our gaze is drawn between the glitter of gold and the shadow of darkness – we, who come as casual onlookers, art lovers or admirers of Andrey Yanev’s work. Yet the artist’s quiet refusal to draw too close to his vision and that which lies unseen beyond will surely escape few, as will his sorrow at not having dared to approach it more boldly. It is here, too, that the tension of Counsel resides. Not an exhibition, but a journey into intimate painted verse. Not a journey, but a confession in brushwork. A prayer, sheltered within the museum space. Not an exhibition, but an eternal plea for justice.
[1] In ОПЕЛО ХРИСТОВО (The Lamentation of Christ) – Orthodox hymn from the Holy Week liturgy.
Translator’s note:
The Bulgarian title „Съветът” can be translated in several ways, including The Council, The Counsel, or Counsel. I have chosen Counsel without an article to preserve the word’s poetic ambiguity. In English, counsel can imply advice, deliberation or spiritual guidance—all resonant with the themes of the work—while subtly invoking the notion of a council or gathering without literalising it. The lack of article keeps the title open to interpretation, much like the painting itself.
The exhibition Counsel is a collaboration between the teams of The National Archaeological Institute with Museum at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NAIM-BAS) and Art Gallery Kazanlak. It is the first in a series of exhibitions marking Andrey Yanev’s 60th birthday.
The exhibition takes place under the patronage of Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria.
