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Papillion Gallery



The gallery Papillion in the coastal city of Varna organized for a fourth time an international graphic art exhibition called “Robert and ::”. Graphic artist Robert Baramov from Varna, who is well-known abroad, has once again united his Bulgarian and foreign colleagues around a charity cause. On 8 February, a day after the show was closed, the gallery auctioned off the exhibited works, which among other things included works by children from Varna´s private school “The Little Prince”. The raised funds will be given to a children’s cancer centre. The event is part of the gallery’s charity cause “Children help Children”. In the last 10 years Papillion has gained a regular audience turning itself into an attractive place for the lovers of fine art.



“I opened the gallery Papillion together with my husband Dimitar Toumbalov in 2000”, Viktoriya Miteva told Radio Bulgaria. “He is an artist with many expositions and awards behind his back, both in Bulgaria and abroad. I myself grew up in an artistic environment although I have graduated economy. For us the art gallery is not simply a cultural institution but a cause to which one has to dedicate himself or herself. We do not look on our activities as an art business but as a responsibility for artists and our audience. We think of what we do as a way to consolidate old traditions and shape new ones. We try to cultivate in our visitors acceptance and tolerance for the new means of artistic expression. This increases people´s general knowledge and aesthetic tolerance, while also changing their perspective”, Viktoriya Miteva reckons.



In the beginning the two gallery keepers hosted predominantly long-term exhibitions. They wanted to present different art genres and styles. In 2007 they opened another gallery next to Papillion exhibiting the works of separate artists every twenty days and organizing joint shows united by a common theme. The art space hosted works by sculptors Hristo Hristov and Zdravko Salabashev from Varna, as well as by painters Plamen Monev and Atanas Hranov. In late 2010 the canvasses of female artist Donika Kirova from Varna were united in a thematic show entitled “Feathers and Fur”. Some of the works of female painter Ralitsa Savova could be seen in an exposition called “A Room with Small Mirrors”. The gallery also offered silver plastic art and jewelry made by artists Snejana Neykova and Ivan Georgiev. Over the last years the gallery has also taken part in several sculpture plein-air sessions. Some of the most interesting exhibits, which were distinguished for their originality, can be seen by the beach walk of the Golden Sands Resort near Varna. There the romantic closeness of the sea quite naturally adds to the artists´ messages. What makes the two gallery keepers embark on so many difficult cultural projects



“Our idea is to show the diversity of Bulgarian art through the various emotions and moods of Bulgarian artists”, Ms Miteva went on to say. “We do not want to limit ourselves to only graphic art, painting or sculpture. An artist can express himself or herself in different artistic fields, such as graphics, ceramics, painting, photography, etc. Art should not be restricted but rather be given a maximum filed of activity. Therefore, twice a year we take part jointly with other galleries in Contempo Weekend for Contemporary Art. We have invited Italian artist Massimo Romani to participate in this year´s edition of the event. He will present works on the topic “Cars and Women”. We aim to introduce our viewers to the great variety of forms in art”, Vkitoriya Miteva said in conclusion.

The gallery Papillion already enjoys many people who visit it on a regular basis. In the words of Ms Miteva, the space is hosting more and more works made with complicated techniques and expressing deep philosophical quests, which have increased people´s aesthetic needs. According to her, the regular visitors already know the works of the Papillion-presented artists and even get attached to certain styles. This seem to be the greatest pleasure of every gallery host: to see how the lovers of fine art are getting more and more.