She is only 16 years old and already presenting her 19th own exhibition at the Boris Hristov Musical Theatre. Ivon Kyuchukova is a student at the Iliya Petrov National Fine Art School in Sofia. Music is the second love of the young artist. Traditionally she unveils her expositions with joint renditions with her piano tutor Associate Prof. Ani Toshkova. In an interview for RB Ivon says:

“I had an exhibition at the Boris Hristov Music Center a few years ago. Pictures in Music / Music in Pictures is my second exhibition, exclusively prepared for that place. Most of my works included were drawn at high school. Different topics are set there and this time music instruments are the accent, mostly the guitar. I do like classic music concerts. Every time I listen or play it, some ideas occur. I see each picture as a different experience, no matter the inspiration – music, some talk or what’s happened…”

Ivon’s mother is an art expert and her father – a doctor, but poetry is his vocation. Music and drawing became an invariable part of her everyday life within this artistic atmosphere. “At one point I had to choose between these two, but I opted for drawings yet in my childhood. Piano is more like a hobby to me,” Ivon says and adds:

“I began to draw and paint at the age of 3 and when I was 4 I had my initial exhibition. When I was in the 5 – 6th grade I realized I wanted to get involved with art professionally. There is this awkward moment with both – when you do it regularly and in the course of many hours any temporary ceasing feels like lagging behind… Or when different techniques are changed – any transfer from acrylic to oil painting is tough.”

Ivon simply loves landscapes and especially the magical atmosphere of the Old Nessebar Black Sea port town. “I do love the sea and each summer I would paint there. The small towns of Bulgaria really have their plots. The closer I get to nature, the more inspired I am,” the girl says. Despite her early age she is already the winner at different contests.

“Nessebar Constellations is one of them. This year’s August edition is 5th. It is for music, dances and other kinds of art. The drawing category has 4 age groups. This year will be my 3rd participation in a row. I took the second place the first time and I was the top winner of 2015.”

The young artist shares her observations on the art taste of the Bulgarians: “Usually people look for a certain plot while choosing a picture. The realistic canvases are the easiest for perception, but good abstract art also has its fans.”

The exhibition of Ivon Kyuchukova will remain open for visits till June 30.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev

Photos courtesy of Ivon Kyuchukova