Nikola Manev (1940 - 2018)

Nikola Manev is a Bulgarian artist born on August 28, 1940 in Pazardzhik. He graduated from the Art School in Sofia, and in 1962 he was admitted to the French Academy of Fine Arts where he graduated "Painting" in the class of Professor Morris Brianchon. The artist lives mostly in France and has 137 solo exhibitions around the world and numerous group exhibitions and biennials. Over 3000 of his works are owned by state and private collections and museums in over 30 countries around the world. In 2008 Nikola Manev became an academician of the Bulgarian Academy of Science and Art. The Nikola Manev Art Gallery in Chirpan was created by the artist. It is located in an old Bulgarian Revival house, built in 1867 in the upper quarter of Chirpan, in a typical Plovdiv architectural style from the middle of the 19th century with symmetrically located interior spaces. The house was bought by Nikola Manev. At his insistence, it was restored and turned into a gallery. He died on 25 August 2018 in Paris, France. (Source: bg.wikipedia.org)