LABYRINTHS INTO THE WORLD OF THE UNSEEN

LABYRINTHS INTO THE WORLD OF THE UNSEEN

Dr. Ksenia Kisselincheva interviews expatriate artist Nikola Manev

Nikola Manev was born in 194O in Chirpan in the Thracian valley. For the last 35 years his haven has been Paris, though he has been traveling extensively the world over in search of natural and historical phenomena which might spur his inspiration on. He has over 25OO works to his credit and he continues to produce new ones, each time surprisingly different and yet bearing the distinctive mark of his individual artistic vision and style. In 1962 he was admitted into French Academy of Fine Arts and studied under the guidance of the world-famous Maurice Brianchon. He took part in the reputable Chanevard competition and was awarded first prize. The eminent French art historian and critic Andre Parinaud calls Manev “one of the most daring explorers in the boundless laboratory of the future”.

During the months of September and October, Nikola Manev put up a retrospective exhibition at the Gallery for Foreign Art in Sofia. It comprises over 2OO paintings, watercolors and drawings, which belong to various museums, public and private collections. The exhibition takes you on a journey through apertures, crossroads and labyrinths to remind you of the world of the unseen.  The entangled explosive patterns are lit from within from above as if giving you clues of the world of the Spiritual both within and outside us. Ksenia Kisselincheva met Manev and conversed with him over a glass of Zagorka beer at the tavern round the corner from his home.

-What brought you back to Bulgaria at this particular point in time?

-It is a kind of watershed for me, personally, in more than one way. Quite recently I celebrated my birthday. Also, it is 35 years since I have been dedicated to painting. Within a wider perspective, we live on the brink of the 21st century. So I felt like striking a balance both as a man and an artist. This gallery is among the best in Europe, and I consider myself lucky to be given the opportunity to exhibit in it.

-How did the public respond to this highlight in the cultural life of Bulgaria?

-Most of the time, while the gallery is open I hang around, meet people, talk to people, read their impressions in the visitors’ diary. Come and have a look for yourself. There are some shrewd observations on my art and most importantly there is a spontaneous expression of love and admiration. People of all ages and of all professions came to see the exhibition-some of them came to me and gave me a hearty handshake. But, in fact, I have to thank them for responding in such a terrific way. They have charged me with so much positive energy that will give a boost to my “duende”, to my inspiration.

- What are the sources of your creative restlessness, what makes you take the challenge of the empty canvas almost every day?

-If I have to be brief, it is love, a pervading love for life, beauty and truth. I am obsessed with exploring the possibilities of shapes, light and color to render my individual perception of the world within and outside us. 

- Which are the influences that have molded your vision and perception?

-Rembrandt has had a lasting fascination for me since I was seventeen. I go back to his originals more than once to study the subtle way in which he uses light to bring forth the soul in his paintings. Another influence which helped me become aware of my individuality and hit upon a style of my own is Vassil Stoilov. In France I fell in love with the poetry of Alain Bosquet, who later became a very good buddy of mine. In his larky Gallic manner, he called my paintings ”lyrical geology”, that’s probably how he sees it. I hope each person can read something personal in my mystical visions...

-What are you doing next?

-First I am returning to France to show my retrospective collection to my admirers there. It will be shown at “Le monde de l’art” gallery in the very heart of Paris. Then I am coming back to Varna to stay for some time in my villa on the seashore, I need some time to recharge my batteries, to accumulate feelings to be expressed. And, by the way, when I grapple with the empty canvas and the tubes of paint I don’t like to have anybody around. Only my cat. I love to go back to this spot by the Black sea, because it swarms with memories from my childhood. That’s where my parents used to take me for holiday, that’s how I fell in love with the sea.

-How does traveling affect you, does it sharpen your artistic perception?

- I like going from one continent to another, flying from the North to the South. Contrasts of scenery and culture affect me profoundly, but usually I put them on canvas a bit later, when I am detached from their immediate impact. Very often I would paint the desert while I am in Holland or Paris, while I am at my cottage on the Black sea.  

 

-Tell us about your pastime pleasures, do you have any love or passion apart from art, history and nature. ..

Oh, yes, there quite a few things I enjoy doing, after spending long hours in the studio with the cat only as my company. I love grilling fish, especially blue fish and belted bonito. Also I love exclusive rose wines and I dream of having a cellar, where I can have wine-tasting sessions.

-Do you share the view that through the mediation of art people can come to understand each other better?

-Definitely I do believe in it. It unites people irrespective of their religious or cultural differences. Moreover, it is the mission of creative people in Bulgaria to counterbalance the crude materialism which is rampant and is bound to stifle the remnants of the national spirit. And to remind people that they have to keep their dignity, despite the poverty and the crisis in values.            

Sofia Western News monthly, 1998