Ivan Tabakov

Ivan Tabakov was born on September 18, 1901 in Sofia. From an early age, he showed an interest in art, choosing painting over music.

In the period 1920–1925 he studied painting with Prof. Nikola Ganushev and Prof. Nikola Marinov, focusing mainly on portraiture. In 1926 he went to France and between 1930–1932 he actively exhibited his works at prestigious exhibitions in Paris, where critics noticed and appreciated his work.

In the 1930s he returned to Bulgaria and regularly participated in exhibitions of the Union of Artists' Societies. He is best known for his portraits, but he also worked successfully in the genres of landscape, still life and figurative composition.

His first solo exhibition in Bulgaria opened on February 19, 1933 in Sofia. In 1942, his portrait of the writer Georgi Raichev, shown at the Venice Biennale, aroused interest in the Italian press and earned him the recognition of an honorary member of the Milan Academy of Arts.