On October 20, 2022 (Thursday) at 5:30 p.m., the retrospective exhibition “Civilization” of the sculptor Dimitar Yankov opens in the Art Gallery – Dobrich. In the exposition exhibited in two gallery halls visitors can see more than 30 works of the artist in stone and bronze, created from the 1980s to the present day.
Dimitar Yankov was born on January 14, 1952 in Dobrich. He completed his secondary education in his hometown. Here he received his first knowledge in the field of art from the art teacher Georgi Radilov and from his long-time friend Petar Nedkov.
1973-1976 studied at VISI – Sofia. This is a period of new knowledge, contacts and a lot of work in artists’ studios – modeling, bronze casting, working with plaster. In the fall of 1976, he settled in Dobrich. Here an outstanding role in his growth as an artist played the studio of artist Hristo Gospodinov. The period 1977-1983 was a serious schooling for the artist. In 1980, for the first time, he participated in an exhibition with three small bronze sculptures.
1980-1989 was an active creative period, during which D. Yankov took part in all district and regional exhibitions, in six national CAEs, in two CAEs “The Land and People” – Dobrich, “View through the Ages” – Veliko Tarnovo, “The Sea and the people” – Burgas, “Yastrebino”, National sculpture exhibition, “The White Swallow” – General Toshevo, two national youth exhibitions, for the first time participated in an international plein air.
1991 – held his first solo exhibition in Degendorf, and later in Augsburg, Germany. His works are owned by galleries in Degendorf, Augsburg, Regensburg, Berlin, Munich, as well as private collections.
1997 – designed and executed in bronze the monument of Zahari Stoyanov, placed in front of the Youth Center in Dobrich. This is his first major donation to the city. Participated in the exhibition “Impression” – Plovdiv.
1998 – realized the composition “Time and We” in the city of Silistra in glass, marble and bronze.
1999 – 2006 – left to Portugal. He held 7 solo exhibitions in Lisbon, Caldas da Rainha, Figueira da Foch, Guimarães, as well as two joint exhibitions with the ceramist Nikolay Amzov. Participated in joint exhibitions with his Portuguese colleagues in Portugal and Spain. Receives and executes a number of private and public commissions – the compositions “Youth”, “Children on the Bridge”, “Family”, “Fado”, mosaic panels. A great challenge is the realization of the stone sculpture of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius in the park in front of the Bulgarian embassy in Lisbon – his second donation to Bulgaria, for which he received a governmental diploma from the Bulgarian president.
“Portugal Sculpture of the Year” 2003 nomination for the figure “The Old Man”.
Since 2007 he lives and works again in the city of Dobrich. Creative implementations:
– Relief – bronze of the rector of the Varna University of Economics, Georgi Dimitrov;
– Relief – stone of Stefan Karadzha, Stefan Karadzha village;
– Composition – “Hristo Botev” stone, Botevo village;
– Composition – bas-relief “Golden Dobrudzha”, town of Dobrich;
– Figurative composition “Mother”, town of Dobrich;
– Bust-monument of Gen. Ivan Kolev, village of General Kolevo;
– Bust-monument of Gen. Ivan Kolev in his native village of Banovka, Ukraine;
– Bust of the hero of Ukraine Vladimir Viydabora;
– Bust of Ivan Bankov, town of Shumen;
– Composition “Faith, Hope, Love”, city of Izmail, Ukraine
2018 – on invitation of the “Picasso” Foundation, he lived and worked in France for a year and a half. Participated in three exhibitions and in the World Biennial of Outdoor Sculpture in Saint-Paul-de-Vance.
Currently Dimitar Yankov lives and works in Dobrich.