Artist Georgi Tsenov is a Bulgarian painter and educator living and working in Glasgow. He holds a Master of Arts degree from Sofia University and has exhibited extensively internationally. Six Foot Gallery is delighted to show eighteen of Georgi’s colourful, stylised oil paintings, in his first Scottish exhibition. 

Hi Georgi! Can you tell us how your creative journey started?
For every young person the choice of a career path is most influenced by their environment which includes; family, school, and society. A definitive factor for me was growing up in a family of an artist. My father (Tseno Tsenov) was and still is an actively working sculptor with many awards in my native country of Bulgaria. From a very young age I remember the time I spent in the large artist atelier which was co-rented by my father and his colleagues. I was amazed by not only the physical creation of the art work but also the magnetic atmosphere of discussions and exchanges of ideas that happened there between people who I looked up to and admired. All of this amassed my career choice of being an artist.

How do you know when a piece is complete?
That is a hard question! I don’t have a definitive answer. Though the painting is somewhere in my studio, often I am tempted to critically analyse it. This is usually another reason to add a few extra brushstrokes to it. This process may continue repeatedly through time. Maybe the piece is only completed when it is no longer owned by the artist.

What do you do to keep motivated and interested in your work?
The main driver which is evergreen is my unwavering passion for art. This ignites my devotion to work; to desire to experiment, and  broaden my aesthetic horizons. It might be a bit strange but some of my artistic energy comes from the fact that I cannot use all my time to create as I need to do other tasks for living. This gives me some distance to reevaluate the stage I am at with my work. As well it allows me to gain new enthusiasm and fresh ideas to continue my creative process.

Will your next project be a continuation of your current style or are you experimenting with something different? Can you share a glimpse of your next project?
When I imagine a new project I visualise something completely new and different, maybe even radical and which cannot be seen in this exhibit. In this train of thought I am not planning such a change for now. More likely I will bet on a gradual evolution to my artistic style, because I feel like I have more to tell in my current directions.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers will experience when they see your artwork?
I never give my work with grand messages. I don’t even intend to convey a specific emotion, that is down to the viewer’s perception. I make artworks to satisfy my inner self. I hope that someone will value my honest approach towards my artistic feelings.

What advice would you give to artists just starting out?
I would not be brave enough to be giving direction to the young artists who are just making their first steps. I think young people are already stressed enough from school and university. All they can do is be truly YOUNG! To live out on the wings of inspiration and the great flight of youth! Let them be unique and free of frames and cliches! There is enough time in the future for them to be defined, level headed, and wise!

See Georgi’s extraordinary body of work at Six Foot Gallery until November 5th.