About The Artist

RESUME: Born in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, living and working in France and currently in USA, being an artist for more than 25 years, I built imperceptibly a parallel world intriguing and provoking me with endlessly interesting stories, personages and inspiring pictures of life. The way I chose as a graphic artist, painter, designer, illustrator and art event organizer, led me to numerous personal and common art exhibitions, projects, international juried finals, nominations and awards. I am a travelling artist with many faces, searching and keeping the balance between the rational and irrational beginning, physical and mind’s metamorphosis, flourishing in a variety of challenging shapes and colors. The viewer of my paintings could linger, trying to discover hidden imagery, symbols and messages depending on his personal life experience, mood or view point. I strive to observe and explore a new look into the “high art” of the world’s popular culture. My usual art techniques are oil painting, acrylics or mixed technique by incorporating art materials from the reality and the daily life of the observer. It is a mixture of light, images, pattern, texture, color, figuration, art nouveau, secession, abstraction, surrealism and naive deformation of the detail which often converts to a three dimensional space. Multiplying layers of transparent varnishes and iridescent colors reflects richer and deeper on the general picture. The typical foundation materials are organic handmade paper, dried flowers, oil and acrylics, scrap of old oil paints, Venetian plaster, ceramics, fabrics, structure pastes and sands. I sometimes finish the composition with golden leafs to emphasize the embellishment often interpreted as a piece of secession ornament. I like the provocation with the contradicting structures like matt and glitter, simplicity and complicity, thinness and thickness of the shapes. It accomplishes my perception for a completion of the composition. The body of my work also evokes a reminiscent of Gaudi’s colorful architecture, Art Nouveau and Viennese Secession, Renaissance, pieces and artifacts from the Thracian epoch, where my roots come from and partial implements from the Roman period in Europe in the Late Antiquity. The most arresting concept visuals in my paintings are the stylized mans and woman’s profiles and portraits, as well as the naive characters emerging from the colorful explosions bringing humoresque and unspeakable joy. My paintings are owned by private collectors in USA, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Russia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, Australia, France, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Serbia, etc. BIO: Graduation: 2002 and 2003 - AMDFA/ Academy of Musik, Dance and Fine Arts/ – Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Master Degree – Speciality “Graphics” under the guidance of Prof. Vladimir Genadiev and “Pedagogy of Fine Arts” under the guidance of Prof. Bisser Damyanov. Self – exhibitions: 2017 – “Whimsical”- Paintings, Caffery Gallery. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA 2017 – “To tame”- Paintings and drawings, PARK STORE Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2016 – “Spring Art Aleys” – Exhibition with paintings in Splendid Hotel & Spa; Nice, France 2016 – “Alisa”, Bibliotheque Municipale & Association Menton-Sotchi, Menton; France 2012 – “Air Bridges”, Le Papillon Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria 2012 - Exhibition in art Gallery ” ‘t hof te puttens”, Lede, Belgium 2012 - “A Recipe for Magic”, Gildo Pastor Centre Art Gallery, Monaco 2011 – “A Recipe for Magic”, Jorj Papazoff Gallery and Novotel Plovdiv, Bulgaria /painting/ 2010 - "Colorful Stories", Bulgarian Culture Institute "House Wittgenstein", Vienna, Austria /painting/ 2010 – “Fragments”, “Pironessa” gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria /painting/ 2010 – “Stories of Angels”, “Jorj Papazoff” gallery, Novotel Plovdiv, Bulgaria /painting/ 2009 – “Mosaics”- “Urban Gallery – Karlovo”, Karlovo, Bulgaria /painting/ 2009 – “Some minutes or less”, “Minerva” gallery, Grand Hotel Sofia, Bulgaria /painting/ 2008 – “In-Sense”, “Minerva” gallery, Grand Hotel Sofia, Bulgaria /painting/ 2006 – “Art Plus” gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria / painting/ 2004 – “Jorj Papazov” gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria /drawings and graphic/ 1998 - “Vazrazhdane” gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria /drawings/ More important participations: 2018 – “49th Annual River Road Show” –A National Juried Art Competition, Art Guild of Louisiana; Baton Rouge; LA; USA 2018 – “15 x 5” – A national art exhibition of AAP/Artist’s Association in Plovdiv/, City Hall “Boris Hristov”, Plovdiv; Bulgaria 2018 – Brush with Burden – 2018, Burden Center LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA 2017 – Art Festival – Perkins Rowe, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA 2017 – Vernice Art fair – Forli Fiera, Italy, ArtExpo Gallery 2017 – ARTE Cremona; ArtExpo Gallery, Casalpusterlengo,Italy 2016 – Colorida Art, Lisbon, Portugal 2015 - ART Revolution Taipei, Taiwan 2014 – Arte Internacional Naif, BCM gallery & CT Art Gallery, Reus , Tarragona, Spain 2014 - Arte Internacional Naif in BCM gallery, Barcelona, Spain 2014- 4-me Rendez-vous des artistes Naifs/Verneul sur Avre, France 2014 - SIAC (Salon international d'art contemporain), Marseille, France 2013 - Artistes du Monde, International Exposition of Contemporary Art; Salon du Veux Port, Cannes,France 2013 - Summer exhibition - ‘t hof te puttens”, Lede, Belgium 2012 - Summer exhibition - ‘t hof te puttens”, Lede, Belgium 2012 - “100- years Society of the Artists from South Bulgaria” – Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2012 - “Exhibition Circus & Carnaval”, presented by Gildo Pastor Centre Art Gallery – Monaco 2011 - " Femmes du Monde" - Ste Agnes, Medievale, Cote d'Azur France 2011 - "Vino deco", exposition art naif, Chateau Verez, Cote d'Azur, France 2011 – “A flower for Palm Sunday” – Vox Art Gallery, Bourgas, Bulgaria 2011 – “Ladies choice”- opening with the special participation of the actor Stefan Danailov, Mall-Gallery Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2010 - “Christmas Exhibition 2010″ , Business Hotel Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2010 – “Exhibition of the Young Artists”, “AAP”, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2009 – “Tuyap” , “Jorj Papazov” & “Valor” galleries, Istanbul, Turkey 2009 – “15 x 5″ – project by Lyubena Hadzhiyska, /AAP/ 2007 – “77” –exhibition of artists, born in 1977. – “Art Plus”, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2007 – Krapetz Plain air, Minicipality of Shabla, Bulgaria 2007 – “Love and Wine”, Tourist Information Center, Hissar, Bulgaria 2006 – “Annual Exhibition” Common of the Association of the artists in Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2005 – XVII-th International Bienal of Humor and Satire – Gabrovo, Bulgaria 2004 – Curator of the project “Exhibition of the Young Artists” – /AAP/ 2004 – Fourth International Triennal of Graphic Arts – Sofia, Bulgaria 2004 – Representative exhibition of graphic’s artists from Plovdiv, “Culture Centre”- Nis, Serbia 1998 – “The surrealism in Plovdiv”, “Vazrazhdane” gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria Awards: 2008 – Prize for the National Competition “Words in Color”, Pazardzhik, Bulgaria 2010 – Young Artist’s Prize by the Association of the Artists in Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2015 – Awarded in the International competition Art Revolution- Art Fair, Taipei, Taiwan Projects: 1998 – 2002 – Illustrator of fantasy magazine “Zona F” by general editing of Agop Melkonyan, Bulgaria 2002 – 2003 – "Chitalishte Vazrazhdane – Plovdiv” by “Chitaliste Project” which goal is to strengthen the community role of the Chitalishte as traditional cultural and educational centers in Bulgaria. Provided by (UNDP), MATRA and (USAID) developing programs. 05. 2013 - Pediatric department of the Hospital in Sicily: painted wall composition by the picture “ The tightrope dancer” /The project is made by the director of department Domenico Cipolla. 23-27. 05.2013 - LA Balkan Fest 2013 ‘Supports I Can Too / Petro Dushkov : П.Ч.Е.Л.А & MAHALATA – Los Angeles/USA 12.2013 - Illustrator to the story “The Dream of a grain of sand” – by Victoria Levi- Rueven 01.2014 – “Suggestopedic course for harmonious relationships with our children” organized by Vihrovenia –Centre of classical suggestopedy , Bulgaria 29. May. 2015 - FALCON YACHTS – Open day of Art exhibition & Buffet cocktail served on board of the motor yacht in Port Canto, Cannes, France 19.06.2015 – White Russian Night –One day exhibition, Stars n’Bars, Monaco Activities and skills: 1995 -2004 Assistant in art gallery “Vazrazhdane”, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2004 - Curator of the project “Exhibition of the Young Artists” – /AAP/ Association of the Artists in Plovdiv, Bulgaria 2006 -2007 Assistant in “Art Plus” – art gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria Contact: +1.225.771.9612 m.kalacheva@yahoo.com http://www.kalacheva.com https://www.facebook.com/MARIANA-KALACHEVA-114510931895899/?ref=hl http://websta.me/n/makarena_mar https://www.tumblr.com/blog/makarenamar https://fr.pinterest.com/makarenamar/