International Exlibris Competition Varna visits Dobrich for the first time
THE TRAVELING EXHIBITION OF THE
INTERNATIONAL EX-LIBRIS COMPETITION VARNA
VISITS THE "YORDAN YOVKOV" MONUMENT HOUSE
TO THE REGIONAL HISTORICAL MUSEUM - DOBRICH
18.08 – 26.09.2025
From August 18, 2025, the International ExLibris Competition Varna embarks on its sixth traveling exhibition in its 11-year history, and for the first time will visit Dobrich. The collection with the selected works will be presented for more than a month at the "Yordan Yovkov" Monument House at the Regional Historical Museum - Dobrich. Residents and guests of the city will have the opportunity to enjoy an exhibition with over 200 graphics by artists from all over the world.
Bookplates are an engraved or printed sign printed on the inside of the book cover and serving to clearly identify its owner. The name comes from the Latin phrase "ex libris", meaning "from the books of..." or "from the library of...". Nowadays, the bookplate has changed its utilitarian purpose and is now more of a work of art than a graphic sign printed in books.
The Artistic Director of the International Exlibris Competition Varna since its foundation is the famous Bulgarian graphic artist Julian Yordanov. The Chairman of the Jury is the beloved Bulgarian artist and lecturer in the Department of Graphics of the National Academy of Arts, Assoc. Prof. Dimo Kolibarov. In the sixth edition of the Varna competition in 2025, 364 artists from 53 countries sent works for participation. Of these, 178 artists were selected to participate in the competition and exhibition. The grand prize was awarded to Richard Ballon for his bookplate, dedicated to the Ravensbrück Memorial Center – a concentration camp for women that existed in Germany during the Nazi regime. The second prize in the competition was awarded to the talented Bulgarian artist Kalina Kraleva. The third prize went to the German artist Jochen Kublik, and the young artist award was awarded to the 26-year-old Ukrainian Anna Voytyuk. The Yordan Petkov Award went to the Italian graphic artist Sandro Kinellato.
The audience in Dobrich will be able to enjoy the works of some of the best contemporary artists in the field of small graphics and bookplates from around the world, who traditionally participate in the Varna forum. These are the Estonian master of miniature graphics Lembit Lohmus, winner of the Varna Artists Association Award, the Ukrainian artist Sergiy Khrapov, awarded the International Jury Award, the winners of honorary diplomas in the Esteban Grimi-Argentina competition, Hristo Naydenov, Onnik Karanfilyan and Petar Lazarov from Bulgaria, Günter Huyber and Jiri Brazda from the Czech Republic, Janne Laine from Finland, Valerio Medzetti from Italy, Shigeki Tomura from Japan, Yuriy Molibozhenko from Russia, Krzysztof Marek Bak and Viola Tich from Poland, the young and extremely talented Ukrainian artist Mykhailo Drymailo, who received the award of the Belgian gallery Epreuve d’Artiste.
International Ex-Libris Competition Varna is a biennial held in the seaside capital since 2014 and has six editions. Until 2021, the organizer is Largo Gallery, and from 2022, this role will be taken over by the Jordan Petkov Art Foundation.
The sixth edition of the International Exlibris Competition Varna is realized with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture and the Culture Fund of the Municipality of Varna. More information about the competition can be found on its website: www.exlibris-competition-varna.org, as well as on the Largo Gallery website at www.largogallery.com. The exhibition in Dobrich continues until September 26.
Nelly Valcheva, Executive Director
International Exlibris Competition Varna
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