Anthony
Kirov
was born in Bulgaria in the town of Pernik, an old town that has existed
for the past thousands of years. The earliest settlements sprang up
near the source of Struma River. In ancient times there passed one
of the oldest roads on the Balkan Peninsula called Via Strimon, which
was the shortest way from the Danube River to the Aegean Sea and Asia
Minor.
In 1966 the artist finished The School of Fine Arts where his mentor
was one of the best Art teachers in Bulgaria – Ivan Lazarov.
1975 he graduated from the Higher Institute of Architecture And Design
in Sofia, where his painting and sculpture teachers were one of the
most famous artists and sculptures – Prof. |
Boris Kolev and Prof. Valentin Starchev. After graduating from the institute, he worked
as an architect and designer. He designed public buildings, apartment
buildings, and houses. In addition, he designed and directed expansion
and modernization on some of the biggest factories in the town. In
1978 he became a member of the Union of Bulgarian Architects.
During that time he continued to paint and participates in almost
all national exhibitions. From 1985 his permanent teacher and friend
was one of the most famous painters in Bulgaria, Luben Gaidarov, also
called Master Luben. The close location of the studios of both artists made their meetings and
conversations |
even easier. The contact continued
for more than twenty years,ended by the death of the master in 2004 at the age of 98. While studying with
Master Luben, Anthony Kirov was mentoring his own students. In 1980
he became a member of the biggest organization of painters in Bulgaria:
Union of Bulgarian Artists.
Anthony Kirov has sold around two hundred paintings throughout
Europe and the US. In 2000 he immigrated to America. His wish is to
actively participate in the art life of one of the world centers of
art – NYC, where he had exhibitions in several galleries. At
this moment, he has a studio in Queens, NY, where he continues painting. |