The Bulgarian artist-painter, who has produced one of the largest collections of miniatures in Europe, will be presented online on the platform for Bulgarian and world art 5new until mid-December.

The new generation of the public probably knows little about the painter Boris Gorinov, but he remains well known among collectors at home and abroad, and especially among fans of acrylic and oil in miniature format. The artist developed his career in the years between World War II and the end of the Cold War. Together with his wife, the famous Bulgarian ceramist Yova Raevska, he has a number of memorable and emblematic joint exhibitions, as well as many bold artistic projects, mostly with natural elements – cork, seashell, pine cones, pebbles, cacti and etc., outside the borders of the country. The smaller the size of the tile on which Boris places his miniature, the richer and deeper the world seen through his brush becomes.
The ability of the artist to collect a whole composition into a one centimeter template is a testimony not only to his undeniable talent, but also to the way he looked at the world – knowing it “like the back of his hand”. Boris Gorinov remained a cosmopolitan personality until he passed in 1998, bequeathing to his family and the Bulgarian public an impressive collection of miniature paintings that can easily compete with world masterpieces, say expert art critics. The artist’s collection is being looked after by his family and miniature paintings exceed a thousand.
Boris Gorinov, born in 1915 is from Pazardzhik and son of Ivan Gurinov –the painter, portraitist, who lived from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. Boris was born with a brush in his hand, and the path to and from art has always been his destiny and love. It was this love that likely brought him together with Yova Raevska in 1944, with whom he had two sons.

The first romantic meetings with Yova Raevska happened not just anywhere, but namely in the National Artist’s Academy (NAA) studios, where Yova studied Ceramics and Boris – Painting. The passionate love between the two artists gave rise to a stormy and active public and creative career. After several years of teaching in Pazardzhik, the couple moved to Sofia and lived in a studio on Slivnitsa Blvd., which later became a bohemian hotspot for the artistic cohorts of their younger son, Kras Gorin, who confidently followed in his parents’ footsteps as a professional artist. Kras graduated from art school in Italy and now lives and works in the USA with his family. Kras combined the talents inherited from his mother and father and actively devoted himself to mosaic painting and outdoor art. He, unlike his father, tends towards the more monumental form, though interest in mosaics was awakened precisely by his father, Boris Gorinov. In addition to frequent family visits to the USA, Boris managed to hold several solo exhibitions in Great Britain, Italy and the USA, after the fall of the Iron Curtain.

In the meantime, Boris and Yova manage to build a small house in the foothill outskirts from the center of Sofia, where they devote themselves, in addition to art, to one of their favorite activities – growing a small vegetable garden.

Unlike Yova Raevska, who developed a noteworthy career as an artist and public figure until the beginning of the new century, painting did not become a professional field for Boris. He chose to devote himself to teaching Fine Art in a metropolitan school and, above all, to raising their two boys. For Boris Gorinov, miniatures are more of a hobby and he makes some of his most significant works precisely in the spring and summer months, when usually he and Yova are at their villa by the sea. The marine theme and nature in Bulgaria in general, with all these unique elevations and iridescent colors and shades, inspires Boris to create miniatures with stunning depth. The small house in the wild and at that time uninhabited Black Seaside village of Sinemorets was located right on the Turkish border and next to huge spacious meadows that allowed him to connect and be inspired by nature’s surroundings.

In the collection that we have chosen to show you on the 5new site in the next few weeks, you will see precisely such works, inspired by the Balkans and our Black Sea. But Boris Gorinov does not limit the audience’s imagination only to our area. After a landmark visit to the Arizona wilderness, Yova and Boris depart, leaving behind a perfectly manicured and developed vegetable garden, for which Yova makes the planters, and Boris a series of still lifes with very fruit and vegetable tones.

Despite his many travels around Europe and the USA, his passionate love for Bulgaria remains a major source of inspiration. This strong connection to the country remains rooted in the paintings themselves. Until the end of his life, he harbored the deepest feelings, and his attachment to the beautiful nature in Bulgaria remained unshakable. “The new world, with its luster and progress, failed to attract Boris even to his end of days,” testify his relatives. In Bulgaria, you don’t need to drive for hours to see a beautiful view or amazing mountain peaks. In contrast to America, where every journey is tied to a lot of time, resources and money, in Bulgaria, in one picture and without any effort, the artist contemplates colorful pictures from the banks of the Danube and the Black Sea, the peaks of the Rhodopes, Pirin and Vitosha, boundless meadows and turbulent rivers. It was this world, without limits in the palette, that the artist saw and captured in his miniatures – so small and at the same time so deep and full of mood.

Boris Gorinov’s style is distinguished by characteristic everyday literalistic plots, but at the same time with metaphorical messages. One of the key elements in the paintings is the sense of humor and ease with which he recreates the world around him. This is also evident from the titles of some of the works. Among the preserved paintings, in addition to those of landscape views, food products and vegetables, cacti from Arizona, there are occasional portraits of faces he himself remembered. “My father had an amazing talent for physiognomy,” says Kras Gorin in an autobiographical interview conducted in 2021 by the 5new team. An easily provable and visible testimony to this statement is a real find in creative and historical terms – a small sketchbook with portraits of soldiers whom he happened to meet during the war years.

In the collection of miniatures there are works with the size of a postage stamp up to 30×30 cm. In his earlier years, the artist has preserved several portraits on canvas of larger sizes (100×100 cm), but at a later stage Gorinov never returns to this format.

Artworks by Boris Gorinov – View, acrylic, undated / creative period 1960 – 1980 /, 10×11 cm, Sunflowers, oil paint, undated / creative period 1960 – 1980 /, 10×12 cm, Spring, oil paint, undated / creative period 1960 – 1980 /, 10×10 cm, Rays, oil paint, undated / creative period 1960 – 1980 /, 9×13 cm,

The characteristic of his work is that, despite their small size, the works allow and even require to be viewed from afar in order to perceive the overall picture of the landscape and the complex composition. These are big plots brought in on a very small scale. Boris himself as an artist paints completely freed from the trends of the time in which he develops. His approach is innovative. He works with a spatula and oil paints on various flat surfaces, which he often even makes himself. As a canvas, he uses almost any surface – from wood and metal, to cardboard and canvas.

Selected works for the 5new platform will be available in the coming weeks in mid-December for direct order. The works were provided by Amy Gorin Chapman – current owner of the family collection and granddaughter of Boris Gorinov and Yova Raevska. All works are original, unique and have a certificate of authenticity. Additional custom framing can be ordered.

Learn more on how to purchase these beautiful miniatures and become a part of the almost 100 years old collection’s history here.

Part 2

Early in the morning of July 6th, loaded with luggage, handy tools for making what we understand to be an “authentic” documentary and three brand new lamps, we set the GPS to Herentals. And on the way it rained. And it was still planned to visit the sculpture park, located ten kilometers from the art center in Herentals, on the same day. Would we make it? It’s good that we quickly remembered to take out the talisman of this trip – Rada Yakova’s Pink Cloud, which quickly cleared the way in front of us and made the afternoon clear and sunny. We knew that the clouds and rain were only for our benefit. The soft sun would not burn the frames, and the well-washed sculptures would be even more impressive, combined with the fresh aroma of the wet grass.

The atmosphere in the art center is something that can hardly be described or captured on camera. We hoped that in the days of lockdown we could at least partially convey the emotion, but we wish every art connoisseur to feel this special energy of the place for himself. The former factory and the slightly run-down area are enlivened by art, which attracts many tourists. Few of them know anything about Bulgaria, but this is a chance for them, in this small working-class Belgian town, located in the middle of grain fields, to steal a bit of our culture and history. Art attracts. It kind of transcends boundaries and makes everyone much more up close and personal. When we look at the paintings on the walls of the center, we know in our minds that we are 2000 kilometers from the homeland of this canvas or this art object, and at the same time we feel it in our hearts that distances lose meaning and give way to pure perceptions. It is a collection, located on 5,000 square meters of exhibition space, with over 1,000 works of Bulgarian artists, each with its own story and the right to be seen by the whole world.

There is no need to repeat who Hugo Voeten is. There is enough biographical information about him both on the web and at his Art center in Belgium. The only thing that matters to us is that he is a person almost unknown in his own country, driven by the love of adventure, nature and art, caught in the whirlpool of Bulgarian creative talent. Thanks to him, today we have a well-preserved piece of the history of art, born in Bulgaria over the past 30 years, which, like many other compatriots, has gone beyond the borders of the country to discover new worlds. A small part of the history of Bulgarian contemporary art, however, remains hidden in his private family collection, to which we do not have access and in which we are sure there are many more masterpieces. Unfortunately, there is no public catalog for it.

This journey, both on the canvas and on the granite stone, provoked in our country the desire to open a platform for dialogue on the topic of “Collecting art – under the motto Je m’en fous” – what are the practices, what are the dangers, what are the opportunities before the collectors themselves. This dialogue is taking place quietly for now, through the traveling exhibition, which keeps touring small and independent art spaces in Europe. But we want to be louder, reach more people, and encourage more people to dream along with original works and not be afraid to start their own collection today.

Become part of the adventure by getting involved in the “Why in the world Bulgarian Art” project in the following ways:

* Invite the traveling exhibition to your town or village.

The exhibition consists of 9 vinyl with text and photos, video interviews for 3 to 9 monitors or TVs, an art installation #PinkCloudBlast. We rely on you for the technical provision of the exhibition and the accommodation of the team for the opening and closing times. In this project we strive to preserve the spirit of Hugo Voeten and his desire to ennoble the environment. This is why the locations can be alternative places for art, provided there is electricity and possibly an internet connection. If you would like to invite the traveling exhibition near you, you can contact us now at: collection [at] 5new.org with subject “Why in the world Bulgarian Art in [place name]”

*Support the project financially or materially.

• Financial support in the form of donations can be made by following this QR code.

All funds go to the traveling exhibitions and seminars planned for the year on the topic “Collecting art”, with the aim of popularizing the history of Bulgarian contemporary art in our country and around the world. Currently, 5new Artists has collaborators in Eastern and Western Europe and in the USA.

• We accept technical and material support with proposals for partnerships and sponsorships in the areas of: logistics and transport, long-term tangible assets (microphones, cameras and other hardware and software), accommodation, catering, shooting and processing of footage, streaming. Our partners are always well presented to the public and the media. Your visual presence on the online platform is guaranteed. In addition, you also get coverage on the official 5new social networks and on the personal networks of the co-founders’ contacts. Find out more trough our chat in Messenger or Whats App.

• Participation in our seminars on “Collecting art – under the motto Je m’en fous”, if you are also a collector and an avid art lover and want us to tell your story to the world, write to us at: artpodcast [at] 5new.org or follow our social channel and #ArtMatchMakers Podcast for more stories.

Part 1

Exactly one year ago, in the warm but still isolated month of July, we, the co-founders of 5new got into a car and sped towards hope. We were only armed with one #PinkCloudBlast to guide us in the right direction and protect us from bad luck. We hoped that we would have good weather, that the pandemic measures would not thwart our plans and that we ourselves would remain healthy enough to be able to carry out the long-planned and repeatedly rescheduled meeting with Evelyn Heylen – the Cultural Manager at the Hugo Voeten Art Center.

We went to the hiding place of Bulgarian contemporary art, in a small and quite unpopular town in Belgium – Herentals. The treasure of over 1000 works of Bulgarian artists is kept with care and diligence by the heirs of an equally unknown collector – a dreamer who simply fell in love with our art and understood our masters well.

Inspired by the past and by the works hidden behind museum doors, we decided to tell in our own way the story of a remarkable collection compiled in the 1990s. The man behind this collection is Hugo Wooten, and although he is a well-known philanthropist in Bulgaria, in his native Belgium and around the world, he remains a man like any other. What sets him apart from other ordinary people, however, is his belief in art, inherited from his mother, accompanied by the motto Je m’en fous. We couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person Hugo Voeten was. Why an ordinary businessman heads to post-socialist Bulgaria and begins to challenge artists to reach new creative heights. Without specifically seeking the expertise of art professionals, Hugo Voeten trusts his instincts, which he developed from a young age visiting auction houses and antiques with his mother. But why read about these stories from the past here, when you can actually hear and see them in our specially arranged interview with the curator of the collection, Evelyn.

The history of this collection is very inspiring for travelers who can stop at the two key points. Our first stop is Herentals and the old grain factory, transformed into a unique center with nine floors dedicated only to art, and a third to Bulgarian art. The second detour from this sort of archive of some of our recent art history is the Geel Sculpture Park. The entire garden adjacent to Hugo Voeten’s summer residence is dotted with works by our artists. See shots of gardens in our video collection, which we presented during the traveling exhibition “Why in the world Bulgarian Art” at the Ruse Regional History Museum.

The short walks through the monumental art showed us how multifaceted the talent of Bulgarian artists is. The collection of Yugo Wooten includes works by Alexandra Chaushova, Alyosha Kafedzhiyski, Atanas Yaranov, Bora Petkova, Valentin Starchev, Valyo Chenkov, Vanko Urumov, Velislava Gecheva, Velichko Minekov, Vladimir Dimitrov, Galin Malakchiev, Genko Genkov, Desislava Mincheva, Dimitar Boykov, Svetlin Rusev, Snezhana Simeonova, Stefan Lyutakov, Tsvetoslav Hristov and others.

It is an incredible feeling to walk along the Bulgarian stone alleys, lined with tons of granite from the village of Ilindentsi in Bulgaria, specially ordered by Hugo Voeten. Even the ground we walked on spoke of this unrelenting talent, which, like a genie from a sealed bottle, was released in the 90s of the last centuries.

But let’s look at the narrative more chronologically. On July 5th, 2021, we already traveled to Antwerp, where we stayed overnight, so that on July 6th, at early dawn, we could head to the Belgian collector’s treasury in Herentals, Belgium. We had planned to have our working meeting to finalize the final details of the script over a glass of wine and a delicious dinner. Our plan included not missing out on enjoying charming Antwerp and here are some shots from the exciting start. Antwerp is a city steeped in artistry. Almost every corner hides something that reminds of the creative spirit. This encouraged us to blend in with the crowds and even try to find common ground with them. Excited about our upcoming visit to one of the largest collections of Bulgarian contemporary art in Europe, we asked a few passers-by what they knew about Bulgarian artists and whether they knew the collector and their fellow countryman who believed so strongly in the talent of our artists. The answer among all those asked was unequivocal – no one had heard of Hugo Voeten, and the idea of ​​Bulgaria seemed close to them only through the artist Christo and his wife, who lived in France. This recurring plot in our meeting with the local population did not disappoint us. Even on the contrary. It turned the question “Why exactly has Bulgarian art won Voeten’s heart” into a leading one during the interviews we did and gave within the project. Of course, not everything was smooth sailing that day. We had armed ourselves with a rucksack of just three handsfrees acting as microphones, three personal smartphones with cameras, two stands, power strips, duct tape, clips, make-up, some memory sticks and a question script. Predictably, we ordered a set of lights to add light to the phones’ cameras, but during the pandemic, and at the height of it in Belgium, something went wrong and the lights were days late! We were already considering lighting alternatives when the hotel reception called us with the saving news that a courier had just left a package for us. We immediately rushed to unpack and test the fixtures.