Driven by my passion for Nature and seeing its diversity, I was captured by the immense beauty of Swedish Lapland where I encountered the vibrant movement of The Northern Lights for the first time.  

My fascination, combined with my curiosity and experience in working with tree bark as the main material for my paintings, led me to see a connection between Aurora Borealis and the unique shapes and curves of the bark. This understanding inspired me to start a new body of work exploring the very changeable nature of the northern lights.

My objective was to capture its majestic beauty and playfulness. In my work I express this colorful phenomenon in a unique way by following the natural curves of the tree bark with fluorescent colors. The gentle three-dimensional surface combined with fluorescent paint under UV black light results in a painting that unveils fully at night.

When observers experience my art, I want them to feel the presence of color and movement in the night sky, quiet and captivating: a tiny piece of Aurora hanging on the wall.

Tsvetomir Iliev, born in Bulgaria in 1982, is an emerging artist whose work captures the beauty in the hidden complexity of nature. His fascination with art began by chance in 2010 when he first started experimenting with small pieces of fallen tree bark. He found it incredibly interesting with a great potential for composing organic, nearly three-dimensional acrylic paintings.

Since then, through continuous exploration and persistent effort, art became his real passion.

A self-taught artist, he slowly made his first steps in the art world in the last few years and is now passionately exploring galleries, reading the history of art and learning new techniques. Tsvetomir has completed the course at The Working Artist online business school for creative professionals. In 2018 he became a member of The Abundant Artists Association. 

His art has already inspired the curiosity of a few private collectors in Europe and The US who now own some of his works. His paintings have been displayed in 5 solo exhibitions and various group exhibitions, small galleries and art fairs.

Two of his later paintings “Ascension”(2014)  and “The Milky Way 2”(2016) made second-round of judging for the prestigious Summer Exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts. In 2015 the painting “Sources life” was included in a group charity exhibition for children with diabetes and in 2016 won 2nd place - "3 Dimensional Categories" at Nature Art Competition at the Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery.  

His journey as an artist and his close connection with nature led him to the initiative “Start Simple – Plant A Tree” which is an invitation to involve as many people as possible through tree planting, artwork and presentations concerning the importance and value of trees and forests. In 2017 there were three exhibitions “Start Simple – Plant A Tree” and 1700 trees were planted in the beautiful mountain region where he lives.  

Currently, Tsvetomir is working on a new body of work exploring the very changeable nature of northern lights and his objective is to capture its beauty, majesty, and playfulness through the unique shapes and curves of the tree bark.

Tsvetomir Iliev

www.barkflower.net

FB: Barkflower art studio

1982 Born, Lom, Bulgaria. Currently resides in Aarhus , Denmark.

Education:

2018 – A course at The Abundant Artis/How to sell art online

2016 - A course at The Working Artist online business school for creative professionals.

2007 - Bachelor, University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Bulgaria

2001 - High school economics, Lom, Bulgaria

Awards:

2018 September       The painting "Aurora 2" is awarded "Hon. Mention - Painting Category" for Open Art Exhibition at the Light Space & Time Online Art              Gallery

2016 August              The painting "Sources life" is awarded "2nd place - 3 Dimensional Category" at Nature Art Competition at the Light Space & Time Online Art          Gallery

2016 August              The painting "The Milky Way 2" is awarded "Special Recognition Category" at Nature Art Competition at the Light Space & Time Online Art          Gallery

2016 May                   The painting "The Milky Way 2" made second-round of judging for the Summer Exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts

2015 August              The painting "Ascension" is awarded "Hon. Mention - 3 Dimensional Category" for Nature Art Competition at the Light Space & Time Online          Art Gallery

2014 May                   The painting "Ascension" made second-round of judging for the Summer Exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts

2014 May                   The painting "Destiny" made first-round of judging for the Summer Exhibition at London’s Royal Academy of Arts          

Solo exhibitions:

2019 December           Northern lights exhibition, Gifted art gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria.

2017 December            "Start simple – plant a tree", Petko U. Todorov gallery, Elena town, Bulgaria

2017 May                   "Start simple – plant a tree", The Art Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria

2016 April                   "Nature - source of life", The Art Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria

2015 September         "Nature - source of life", Rafael Mihailov exhibition halls, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

2014 August                Rila lakes hotel, Rila mountain, Bulgaria

 

Group exhibitions and art fairs:

2022 October             Output festival, Aarhus, Denmark

2019 April-May           Group exhibition at the Cultural Center “The White House”, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 

2018 September        Forest Resonance art fair, village of Belashtitsa, Bulgaria 

2018 April                    Group exhibition at the Cultural Center The White House, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 

2017 September        Group exhibition at the Cultural Center “The White House”, Plovdiv, Bulgaria 

2017 September        Forest Resonance art fair, village of Belashtitsa, Bulgaria 

2017 August                Tulenovo Art Festival, Tulenovo, Bulgaria 

2017 July                        "Start simple – plant a tree" exhibition at Health and Sports Festival, Sofia Bulgaria 

2017 May                     Art festival "Sea Resonance", Golden Sands sea resort, Bulgaria

2016 September           Forest Resonance art fair, village of Belashtitsa, Bulgaria

2016 August                   Tulenovo Art Festival, Tulenovo, Bulgaria

2016 May                     Contemporary art festival "Colorful Balkan World", Elana town, Bulgaria

2016  May                    Sea Resonance art fair, Golden Sands sea resort, Bulgaria

2016 January                 Berlin Edition of Quardratfuss, Berlin, Germany  

2015 November            Charity group exhibition "50x50", for children with diabetes at European commission building , Sofia, Bulgaria  

2015 July                        Charitygroup  exhibition "50x50", for children with diabetes at Rafael Mihailov exhibition halls, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

2015 May                       Charity group exhibition "50x50", for children with diabetes at Petko U. Todorov gallery, Elena town, Bulgaria

2014 December           Group exhibition at Petko U. Todorov gallery, Elena town, Bulgaria

2013 August                   Exhibited artworks at "Hantverksbutiken", Jokkmokk, Sweden

 

Art fairs:

2019 March               Artrooms Art Fair, The Church Village, Rome, Italy.

 

Bibliography:

An article “Northern lights installation”, Kafene.bg culture platform, Bulgaria -  02.04.2019

Published artworks in the second issue of “On Your Doorstep” magazine, UK – 20.09.2016

Featured in the Alumni News of The Working Artist - June 2016

Publication about exhibition "Nature - Source of Life", radio Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria - 03.09.15

An interview about the exhibition "Nature - Source of Life", Evrokom TV Tsarevets, Veliko Tarnovо, Bulgaria - 03.09.15

An article “Back to Nature”, Borba newspaper, Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria -  19.12.14