Bulgarian art café-gallery in Brussels promises more Bulgarian art in 2026

The Bulgarian art café-gallery in Brussels opened its first exhibition for 2026, featuring works by Bulgarian sculptor Bozhidar Kabakchiev and paintings by the artist of Russian origin Andrey Platunov, who has lived in Belgium for three decades.

The gallery is owned by Bulgaria’s Desislava Gigova, who has made it her personal mission to support and promote Bulgarian art in Belgium.

“We are starting the year with a very beautiful event - an exhibition with works by the Bulgarian sculptor Bozhidar Kabakchiev and paintings by Andrey Platunov, an artist of Russian origin who sang for 25 years at the ‘Monnaie’ Opera in Brussels and has now devoted himself to visual art. Bozhidar Kabakchiev is an economist by profession, but he works as a sculptor. He works with metal, wood, and various other materials,” the gallerist explains, continuing:

“This year I have decided to give more space to Bulgarian creators - to Bulgarian painters and sculptors. Art needs encouragement, and as a Bulgarian I want Bulgarian artists to be shown more often in Brussels. This year I plan to present the works of two more Bulgarian artists, one of whom is from Plovdiv. I will keep their names secret until I have confirmation for the exhibitions. Transporting artworks is a bit more difficult, but there are always solutions. I believe this is the way - especially in times that are not easy for artists or for art lovers - for art to be seen. Entering a gallery is not always part of people’s daily routine, whereas here you can stop by for a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy art. And people here like art,” says Desislava Gigova.

The exhibition includes 15 works by Bozhidar Kabakchiev. His sculptures do not shout, but they provoke questions and emotions. Kabakchiev says he enjoys exploring the ability of art to transform the ordinary into something extraordinary. It is interesting how sculpture managed to replace economics and finance, the fields he worked in professionally for many years:

“Yes, the transition was a bit strange for many people - from finance and economics to… art. But when someone has been interested in art all their life, it somehow becomes inevitable. Better late than never,” says Kabakchiev.

What inspires Bozhidar Kabakchiev as an artist?

“Inspiration has no limits. One can be inspired by the most everyday and ordinary things,” the sculptor says.

What most often sparks his creative imagination?

“Sometimes I liken it to jazz. Sometimes it’s absolute improvisation. Sometimes you don’t even know where it’s leading you or what the final result will be. Other times you can plan very seriously what you want to do. In this exhibition I show works I created over four years, since I started working more seriously with sculpture. I was very curious to try all possible materials that could be used to create something. I started with plaster, then metal, stone, wood, plastics, concrete… The choice of materials is endless. Many people have started engaging in art; there are constantly many exhibitions. As for artificial intelligence - it can be a great assistant, but by no means a complete substitute,” Kabakchiev concludes.

The café-gallery also displays around 30 paintings by Andrey Platunov - a talented artist who, after a 25-year career at the ‘Monnaie’ Opera in Brussels, decided it was time to dedicate himself to his other great passion: painting.

“When you have the capacity to do something and you do it well, over time the talent itself chooses you. I am a singer and a pianist, and painting is my hobby - my great passion. There is a symbiosis between the three talents. They are connected to one another. If during the day I have played the piano, the music helps me paint. In other words, one talent triggers the other,” says Platunov.

Which themes inspire and move Andrey Platunov?

“I am Russian by origin, you are Bulgarians, and perhaps you know that we share many similar children’s fairy tales. In the past, our fairy tales were illustrated by great Bulgarian and Russian artists. Those illustrations impressed me deeply - they were very powerful. That stays in your mind forever, and it influenced my work as well. Fairy tales contain both reality and surrealism. All those characters - ‘Vasilisa the Beautiful,’ ‘Koschei the Immortal,’ ‘Ivanushka’ - come alive today in my paintings. There is a parallel reality,” the artist explains.

Many of Andrey Platunov’s paintings are owned by private collectors in Belgium, France, Russia, Latvia, Hungary, and the Netherlands.

Read also:

Neli Itskova from Brussels: Being a teacher today is a challenge and a test
Bulgaria in a Special Corner of the Library in Brussels’ Schaerbeek District

Edited by Elena Karkalanova
English version: R. Petkova