Svilen Blazhev

Born in Kyustendil in 1953, he graduated from the Nikolay Pavlovich Art Institute in 1980. He has been a member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists since 1981. He has had over 25 solo exhibitions in Bulgaria and abroad, including a major retrospective at the National Art Gallery in 2009. His works are in significant museums and collections in Bulgaria and around the world. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Grand Prix of the International Triennial (1987), the Struma National Award and the Vladimir Dimitrov – The Master National Painting Award (2013), as well as the Order of St. Cyril and Methodius – First Degree.