Biography
Ivan Iliev,
was born 1951 in Burgas, Bulgaria, on the Black Sea. He studied graphics, illustration and book design at the Academy of Arts in Sofia from 1970 until 1975. After his graduation he worked as a graphic artist and book designer in Bulgaria until 1990. He has lived since 1990 with his family as freelancing artist in Vienna, Austria.
According to Gerlinde Schrammel
Three cornerstones comprise the primary characteristics of Ivan Iliev’s artistic work: his care for detail, his love of nature and his affinity for late Renaissance and Baroque painting.
Iliev lovingly represents and interprets his chosen subjects with meticulous precision. His education as a graphic designer and his extensive experience in this field has schooled his eye for detail, so that he may easily and humorously devote himself to his favorite subjects in painting.
His love of nature leads him to the exploration of landscapes and their vegetation. For the artist, plants are equivalent with the message: budding, growing and withering.
The artist’s love for the old masters is manifested in his technique and his use of rich detail. One cannot help but think about old masters such as Arcimboldo, or the Dutch paintings of still life.
Clear references to his Bulgarian origin are found in the rich splendor of color and form in the paintings of Ivan Iliev. The artist cannot, and will not deny a characteristic of the Bulgarian tradition: ornamentation. This may be found as a main theme in his paintings, and at the same time is an enduring component of his personal style.
