Exhibition showcases sculptor Nikolai Schmirgela's personal art collection

The exhibition "Possible Connections: Images from the Studio of Nikolai Schmirgela" opens today at the Sofia City Art Gallery. The exhibition is his personal collection of artworks that testify to Schmirgela's tastes, sympathies, inspirations and friendships.

In 2023 the Sofia City Art Gallery received a large donation from Julia Bankova, the sculptor's granddaughter, and his other heirs. It contains works by Bulgarian and foreign artists, some of whom were Schmirgela's friends  - Alexander Zhendov, Stoyan Venev, Georgi Popov - John, Alexandar Stamenov, Svetlin Rusev and others. There are also works by the Cuban artist Carmelo Gonzalez, who visited Shmirgela's studio. In the case of other artists, it is difficult to guess whether they knew Schmirgela, such as George Grosz, André Masson, Eva Schulze-Knabe and others. The exhibition runs until 6 April.

Nikolai Vladov-Shmirgela (1911 - 1999) was a Bulgarian sculptor, painter, illustrator and critic. He was one of the most active artists of the 1930s in all fields of art.  He was the director of the National Art Gallery, the creator of the permanent exhibition of icons in the crypt of St. Alexander Nevsky.