Iliya Zhelev

Life

Iliya Zhelev, an Eastern European artist, was born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 1961. Throughout his career he has become iconic in his home country and well-known on an international level. His work has become popular in Germany through numerous successful solo exhibitions in galleries throughout the country. In 2005 EnBW, a large power supply company, sponsored an exhibition of his work. Zhelev's paintings are owned by the National Art Gallery Sofia, various private and state galleries and private collections in Germany, United States, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden United Arab Emirates, UK, Austria, Greece, France, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Russia and Israel. Zhelev's influences include the artists Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky and Joan Miró. His paintings and collages are recognizable because of the unique style he employs. Zhelev fills his canvases with colorful and symbolically-rich squares in different formations, making his paintings stand out with their vibrancy and richness of expressiveness.

Selected exhibitions