In 1922, when after a long absence from Bulgaria the sculptor Andrey Nikolov came back home, he arranged his first solo exhibition. In one of the responses regarding the exhibition reads: Is it not strange that in this country appeared Andrey Nikolov? What mysterious and inexplicable event gave birth to see among us this fascinatingly gentle, subtle and profound artist, like a Hellene harboring the ancient cult to form, with the delicate, restless and nervous apprehension of the modern soul, going astray into the mysteries of life? Among us! Among a people primitive and crude, cut off for so many centuries from any culture, in a petty way pragmatic, in a rude way materialistic, almost brutal in its greed.
The current exhibition Memory of Andrey Nikolov is a kind of an attempt to outline the parameters of this oddity – uniqueness in the creativity and the works of the great sculptor. In the gallery are sorted not only fragments of the sculptural heritage of Andrey Nikolov, and documents that reveal the personality of the artist and his ability to make others follow him in his ideals and passions. For the first time are displayed important written documents, that the hand of Vaska Emanouilova has written, in which she shares memories of personal encounters with Andrey Nikolov and lessons learned in his studio.
The audience will have the opportunity to see also unpublished until now photos that immortalize moments of the life and creative path of Andrey Nikolov. The arranged in the gallery sculptural portraits of personalities whose names have long since sunk into oblivion, are accompanied by biographical notes that revive the memory of Andrey Nikolov and the people closest to him – the friends of the artist.

The exhibition in Vaska Emanouilova gallery, affiliate of Sofia City Art Gallery, is arranged in partnership with Svetlin Rusev Studio Collection, Nikola Byanov Collection, as well as courtesy of Archives State Agency, and St. Cyril and Methodius National Library.

curator of the exhibition Plamen Petrov