To The Artworks

exhibition of paintings by Ivan Chakarov

07–27.10.2026
Opening reception – Wednesday, 07 October 2026 | 18:30 

On October 7, 2026, at 18:30, Largo Gallery will present a solo painting exhibition by the distinguished Plovdiv-based painter Ivan Chakarov. Entitled “Nature,” the exhibition marks the artist’s first solo presentation in Varna. The exhibition features 13 highly evocative paintings, most of which were created especially for the Varna audience.

With expressive brushwork and rich, saturated colors, Ivan Chakarov’s paintings convey a sense of intensity, depth, and inner strength. His canvases are characterized by a decisive visual language, sharp contrasts between dark and light tones, and a vivid color palette. The images are set within deliberately ambiguous spaces. The artist demonstrates a masterful command of the materiality of paint. In some works, the composition is centered around a central figure, while in others it is more asymmetrical and open.

When encountering these paintings, viewers are transported into a highly emotional environment in which states of mind are revealed through a visual narrative about overcoming inner upheavals. The juxtaposition of strong accents with earthy, deep dark tones, together with the alternation of vivid and muted shades, gives the paintings a dynamic quality and creates a balance between color, form, composition, and symbolism. Some of the works feature the artist’s characteristic images of a buffalo, bull, or horse. These are powerful sculptural forms, conveying a sense of energy and primal strength.

The exhibition also includes landscapes - a direction to which Chakurov has returned after a prolonged hiatus. The artist himself describes working in this genre as an experiment through which he is rediscovering its possibilities. These works broaden the range of the exhibition and invite a more contemplative response.

The conciseness of the titles is striking: “Bull,” “Buffalo,” “Cathedral I,” “Fountain”, “Landscape”. They encapsulate the artist’s ideas while remaining open to different interpretations, becoming a point of departure for each viewer’s own reading of the work. There is no attempt to construct a specific narrative or impose a single interpretation - the titles simply name the image directly and allow its evocative power to unfold freely.

This simplicity of naming can also be considered in relation to Ivan Chakarov’s interest in prehistoric art and in the world of flora and fauna. In his painting, animals acquire an almost archetypal presence - as figures that seem to emerge from a more ancient layer of humanity’s perception of the world. In this context, “Bull” and “Buffalo” are not merely names for animals, but distinctive symbols of the power and vitality of nature.

The animal figures are concentrated and charged with vitality, while the landscapes suggest a more contemplative approach and invite the eye to linger. In this way, “Nature” unfolds between figure and space, between the specifically depicted and the abstractly suggested, between expressiveness and quiet observation.

We look forward to welcoming you to the opening of the exhibition, with the participation of the artist, on October 7, 2026, at 18:30 at Largo Gallery, 8 Han Krum Street, Varna.

More information about Ivan Chakarov can be found in his profile in the “Artists” section on the website. 

Sonya Mitova

About the Artist

Ivan Nikolov Chakarov was born on March 20, 1971, in Plovdiv. He completed his secondary education at the National School of Stage Arts in Plovdiv and, in 2002, graduated from the National Academy of Art in Sofia with a degree in Painting, studying under Professor Teofan Sokerov. He works primarily in the field of painting. He received two first prizes for a painting study in the academic competition “Marin Usta Genov” in 2000 and 2001, as well as the Painting Award of the Society of Plovdiv Artists in 2017 and 2023. Since 2007, he has taught painting and drawing at the National School of Stage Arts in Plovdiv. He has held more than 17 solo exhibitions and has participated in numerous group exhibitions in Bulgaria and abroad. He lives and works in Plovdiv.