ARTISTStephen X
It if sometimes furnished unwilling as additions blessing resolved peculiar graceful at really ladies in as elinor opinions age properly extended.
Stefan Churchuliev (aka Stephen X) is a painter and printmaker who trained in Sofia’s Art School. His work has been exhibited at the prestigious Beijing Biennale in China as well as in exhibitions in London, Paris, India, Sweden and his native Bulgaria.
In 2016 he was awarded residency in Griffin’s Art Centre in United States where he made works using different colours of sand.
Stephen’s new work is inspired by a challenging event in 2018 when his historic 18th Century country house caught fire and burnt to ashes. He began excavating objects from his destroyed library and made a serious of limited-edition prints using pigment inks and genuine gold leaf. The powerful series consisting burnt paper banknotes and books give thoughts of the transitory value of material objects.
In the winter of 2017, two days before Christmas Eve, Stephen’s historic 18th Century house in the picturesque town of Koprivshtitsa, South-West Bulgaria, caught fire.
He and his wife had a lucky escape.
Two days after the fire, he went back to the house to examine the damage. This is when he discovered the new state of his old library, which inspired this piece named ‘Fahrenheit 451’.
The name references Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel ‘Fahrenheit 451’, published in 1953. The novel has been the subject of interpretations focusing on the historical role of book burning in suppressing ideas.
Stephen’s piece was shortlisted by the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. This first ‘Artist Proof’ is part of his limited edition of 20 prints. Each print is hand gilded by the artist with 24ct Cornelissen Gold Leaf and supplied with Certificate of Authenticity signed by the artist.
Stephen’s aim is to use the proceedings from this edition to restore and re-build his historic house.
