In 2020, 85 years have passed since the birth of two famous Plovdiv artists - Dimitar Kirov - DiKiro and Georgi Bozhilov - Slona (The Elephant). The restrictive measures imposed by COVID - the epidemic, prevented the City Gallery of Fine Arts - Plovdiv from celebrating the anniversary. Due to the conviction that the audience deserves this meeting with the art of talented artists, the double exhibition will still take place from September 3 to 25 at the Kapana Gallery (29 Rayko Daskalov Street). For this exhibition Rusalia Kirova - wife of Dimitar Kirov, provides 30 paintings by the famous artist. From their common family collection are also works related to Georgi Bozhilov. Paintings from its collection will be shown by the City Gallery of Fine Arts - Plovdiv. With 10 works by Georgi Bozhilov, in the exhibition also includes the Municipal Institute "Ancient Plovdiv".

There are life and creative parallels between Dimitar Kirov and Georgi Bozhilov, although the two have a completely different creative nature, style and imagery. DiKiro was born in Istanbul (May 20, 1935), but grew up in Plovdiv and forever associated his name with the Plovdiv circle of artists who broke the cliché of dogmatic art from the 60s.

Born on June 13, 1935 in Plovdiv, Georgi Bozhilov also developed his artistic potential here, experimented, sought individual plastic expression, his palette.

Both artists graduated in monumental and decorative painting at the Academy of Arts in Sofia, in the class of Prof. Georgi Bogdanov, in the same year - 1959. Both immediately impressed with their talent. They create original monumental works such as frescoes, mosaics, sgraffito, still shaping the image of Plovdiv as a city with a unique artistic atmosphere. However, they are immortalized by their paintings. Together with Yoan Leviev, Kolyo Vitkovski, Hristo Stefanov, Encho Pironkov they changed the way of the Bulgarian fine arts in the second half of the XX century, they Europeanized it.

The two artists are also good friends, who have risen above creative selfishness, competition, vanity. Both now inhabit their heavenly studios.

The double exhibition opens on September 3 at 6:30 p.m. Wearing a mask, keeping a distance and disinfecting your hands are mandatory.

The event on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1220183065117048/