Andrey Lekarski (né en 1940)

Draped bust with brush Brown patina bronze with marble base Signed and dated 1992 Dim. H: 37 cm "I'm an artist who doesn't take himself seriously. I even feel sad when I take part in big openings, with long speeches by people who give themselves a particular mission. For me, the fun in the work predominates in most of the things I create, whether sculpture or painting. Yes, in my creations there is sunshine, energy and a rich range of colors that delight the public". Andrey Lekarski Andrey Lekarski's talent as a painter is internationally recognized. Along with Christo and Georges Papazov, he is one of three Bulgarians exhibiting in the permanent collection of the Musée de l'Art Moderne in Paris. The Château de Versailles owns two of his sculptures. His monumental sculpture "Bâtisseurs de l'imaginaire" (Builders of the Imaginary) can be seen at the famous Père Lachaise cemetery in Paris, which has become an open-air sculpture gallery over the years. In Nancy in the early 1990s, he was awarded the city's medal and became its honorary citizen. Wikipedia biography: He is the second son of General Krum Lekarski and Nadejda Lekarska. From 1954 to 1959, he studied at the School of Plastic Arts in Moscow. In 1962, he enrolled at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Since 1962, he has lived and worked in Paris. In 1969, he moved to Mexico. It was there that he held his first exhibition of paintings at the Jack Misrachi Gallery. In 1970, he married Svetla Velitchkova. In 1976, his first daughter Katia Lekarski was born, and in 1981, his second daughter Sylvie Lekarski. From 1989, he divided his time between Paris and Bulgaria, where he produced his bronzes. In 1991, he signed a contract with Raphaël Doueb, owner of the Le Monde de l'Art gallery, and in 1992 held a major exhibition of monumental sculptures. In 1993, the city of Nancy and Le Monde de l'Art organized a cultural event entitled "L'Été de la sculpture". Monumental sculptures by Andrey Lekarski and Mikhaïl Chemiakine were exhibited for 3 months in Place Stanislas. During the exhibition, Lekarski was awarded the medal of the City of Nancy by Mayor André Rossinot. Part of this exhibition was installed as a permanent exhibit in the park of the Premontrés Abbey in Pont-à-Mousson. In 2002, the Sofia National Museum of Fine Arts devoted an exhibition to him. His interest in sculpture began at an early age. Using casts of antique models, he creates surprising assemblages that are permanently fixed in a kind of "bronze collage". He explores new forms according to the inspiration of the moment, driven by his taste for freedom and a permanent joie de vivre. An effective means of expressing his fantasies, using a language filled with symbols. The refinement of his patinas lends a definitive, lasting tone to his extravagant works. After Christo, Andrey Lekarski is the Bulgarian artist with the greatest reputation in the West. A European before his time, he is committed to the mix of cultures that will characterize the 21st century. The Slavic tradition, rich in humor and passion, imbues his bronzes with the force of authenticity. He firmly believes in a globalized culture, a kind of world bank of values where each country, each ethnic group will bring a new flavor, a particular connotation. It could be said that Lekarski represents "true Bulgarian taste" in sculpture.