Selected Drawings, Paintings, and Textile Panels from the Gallery 33 Collection
Nikola Manev (1940–2018) is a Bulgarian artist of global renown, whose work transcends borders and cultures. Born on August 28, 1940, in Pazardzhik and raised in Chirpan, he graduated from the National High School of Arts in Sofia. In 1962, he was accepted into one of the most prestigious art institutions in the world—the French Académie des Beaux-Arts—where he studied painting under the renowned Prof. Maurice Brianchon.
Manev turned the world into his creative territory. Over his career, he held more than 137 solo exhibitions across the globe, alongside numerous group shows and biennials. More than 3,000 of his works are part of state and private collections and museums in over 30 countries worldwide.
He left us imagery in which the mystical intertwines with the earthly, nature converses with the human soul, and the real blurs into the fantastical.
The artist often returned to plein air drawing, capturing Bulgarian landscapes and the romantic vistas of Paris—the two worlds between which he lived. In April 2000, Manev purchased and restored a Revival-period house in Chirpan, which he later bequeathed to the town as a symbol of his love for his homeland.
In 2008, he was awarded the title of Academician by the Bulgarian Academy of Science and Art.
Manev passed away on August 25, 2018. This year marks the 85th anniversary of his birth. In his memory, Gallery33 is organizing a commemorative exhibition and invites all admirers of abstract art to experience a selection of his rich creative legacy.
The gallery owns more than 80 works by the artist, including graphic drawings, early studies and watercolor paintings, mixed-media drawings using a technique invented by Manev himself—watercolor on cork—as well as large-scale oil paintings measuring 195 × 130 cm. A highlight of the exhibition are the woven tapestry panels designed and signed by Nikola Manev, crafted in his beloved Paris, with dimensions of 165 × 230 cm.
Over 50 of these works once belonged to the Austrian art collector Herwig Hadwiger. His friendship with Manev, which began in the early 1980s, became a source of inspiration and a bridge to Bulgarian art. Their personal conversations and numerous encounters during Hadwiger’s frequent visits to Bulgaria played a key role in shaping his extensive collection of Bulgarian artworks—now part of the collection of Gallery33.
Excerpt from an Interview with Nikola Manev, 2018
“— Are you satisfied with your life?
— How could I not be satisfied with my life? Of course I’m satisfied! I even envy myself. I envy myself for having lived through so many things—emotional, romantic, and creative. So many people around the world have recognized me as an artist. How could I not envy myself? The only sadness that follows me like a shadow is the thought that life is something very temporary and fragile, and we often fail to appreciate it fully and in time…”
— Nikola Manev
In reverent memory of the artist.
Exhibition dates: 24.11–11.12.2025
Location: Varna, 2A Gabrovo St.
Admission: Free