# Atanas Hranov

Atanas Hranov (Bulgarian: Атанас Хранов) is a Bulgarian painter and sculptor.

## Life and career

Atanas Hranov was born in Plovdiv on October 11, 1961. He studied at the National Arts School in Kotel (1980) and graduated from Prof. Anton Donchev's Woodcarving class at the National Academy of Arts in Sofia in 1987.
Hranov's works range from sculpture to painting, often representing an organic fusion of genres. His preferred materials include wood, handmade paper, canvas, bronze, silver, and polymer coated metal structures. Hranov has held more than 60 solo exhibitions and taken part in numerous group initiatives and curatorial projects.
He is involved in joint projects with poets Vesselin Sariev and Alexander Sekulov.
Hranov lives and works in Plovdiv.
Works of his are held at the National Art Gallery in Sofia, many other museums across Bulgaria, and private collections in Bulgaria and elsewhere.
Atanas Hranov is an avid seafarer.

## Solo exhibitions

* 1992 – Ata-Ray Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 1993 – Center of contemporary art Bania Starinna, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 1993 – Institut Français, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 1993 – Gallery 88, Luxembourg
* 1994 – Center of contemporary art Bania Starinna, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 1994 – Ata-Ray Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 1995 – Gallery 88, Luxembourg
* 1995 – Dosev Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 1996 – Dyakov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 1996 – Lucas Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 1996 – Ata-Ray Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 1997 – Lucas Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 1997 – Ata-Ray Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 1997 – Melina Mercouri Gallery, Hydra, Greece
* 1999 – Ata-Ray Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 1999 – Dyakov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 1999 – Lucas Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2000 – Lucas Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2000 – Artin Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2001 – Dyakov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2001 – Gallery 88, Luxembourg
* 2001 – Art 36 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2002 – Dyakov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2002 – Yuka Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2003 – Dyakov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2003 – Prolet Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
* 2003 – Naturelle Gallery, Munich, Germany
* 2004 – Dyakov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2004 – Naturelle Gallery, Munich, Germany
* 2005 – Plovdiv City Art Gallery, Bulgaria
* 2005 – Fragmenti, George Papazov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2005 – Prolet Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
* 2006 – A Page from a Passport and a Little Hand Luggage, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2006 – Yuka Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2006 – George Papazov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2007 – George Papazov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2007 – The Little Female Saints of Valparaiso, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2007 – Yuka Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2007 – Prolet Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
* 2008 – George Papazov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2008 – Fragments from my Room, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2009 – The Astronomy of Cherries, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2009 – Prolet Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
* 2010 – Curriculum Vitae, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2010 – The Seventh Hill, Resonance Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2010 – The Land of Dreams, Le Papillon Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2011 – The History of Halos, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2011 – The Seventh Hill Project, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2012 – Both Your Faces I Love, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2012 – Little Favourite Portraits, Eva's Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2013 – Gallery 88, Luxembourg
* 2013 – A Voyage to the Isla Negra, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2013 – Paintings, L'Union Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2014 – Seducing the Orient, L'Union Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2014 – The Summer of my Bays, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2014 – The Boris Christoff Project, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2014 – Prolet Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
* 2015 – The Chaldeans, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2015 – A Return to Chaldea, Le Papillon Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2016 – Balthazar's Kettles, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2016 – Balthazar's Diaries, Philippopolis Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2017 – The Clear Outlines of Mr. H., Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2017 – Portraits from a Journey, Le Papillon Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2017 – Paintings, U PARK Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2018 – Breakfast in the Studio, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2018 – Probable Landscape, Prolet Gallery, Burgas, Bulgaria
* 2018 – Paintings, Philippopolis Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

## Group exhibitions and projects

* 1992 – 100 Gallery, Malta
* 1994 – Burgwedel Gallery, Burgwedel, Germany
* 1994 – De Leile Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium
* 1994 – Art Expo, Budapest, Hungary
* 1995 – Oh, Gods, Art 36 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 1996 – The Man and the Document, Center of contemporary art Bania Starinna, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 1997 – Bulgarian Art, Kuwait
* 1997 – Campo & Campo, Antwerp, Belgium
* 1999 – Dublin, Ireland
* 1999 – Gorcum Museum, Gorinchem, Netherlands
* 2001 – Spirit and Matters – August in Art, Georgi Velchev Art Museum, Varna
* 2002 – Vinizki Gallery, Munich, Germany
* 2003 – ″K″ Gallery, Munich, Germany
* 2003 – 10/5/3 – Painting and Matters, National Exhibition Center for Contemporary Art, Sofia
* 2004 – Re-Paper, Sariev Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2004 – Don Quixote, George Papazov Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2004 – ″K″ Gallery, Munich, Germany
* 2004 – Slapansky & Slapansky Gallery, Munich, Germany
* 2004 - Schloss von Hohenstein Gallery, Germany
* 2005 – Salzburg Gallery, Salzburg München Bank, Munich, Germany
* 2005 – City and Colour, Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2005 – Primitivism and Tradition, National Autumn Exhibitions
* 2005 – Classics – Contemporaries – Future Artists, Aspect Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
* 2005 – Nasko H. Stories involving Rum, Ginger, Raisins, and Honey: a collection of paintings and stories (with poet Alexander Sekulov)
* 2006 – Classics – Contemporaries – Future Artists, Aspect Gallery, #2007 – Nasko H. The Little Female Saints and the Black Pepper Men: a collection of paintings and stories (with poet Alexander Sekulov)
* 2008 – The Floating City and the Black Pepper Men (with poet Alexander Sekulov), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Travelling Exhibition, Apollonia Arts Festival 2008
* 2008 – The Cyrillic Script Project, European Parliament, Brussels
* 2009 – The Bulgarian Culture Days in Russia, Manege, Moscow
* 2011 – The Fourth of Plovdiv, Eva's Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2012 – Entirely Useful Things (with poet Alexander Sekulov), Rakursi Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
* 2012 – Pushkin & Plyushkin. Collecting House for Entirely Useful Things (with poet Alexander Sekulov), Eva's Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
* 2016 – Friends of the Sea Contemporary Art Biennale, Burgas, Bulgaria

## Awards

* 2001 – Plovdiv Arts Award
* 2004 – Dyakov Gallery Award
* 2007 – ″Amethyst Rose″ Award for High Artistic Achievements
* 2016 – Friends of the Sea Contemporary Art Biennale Painting Award, Burgas

## Sources

* ↑ Atanas Hranov: I Dance with Cinderella at Night, Delyana Lukova, Maritsa Daily, October 12, 2016
* ↑ Atanas Hranov – the Artist Struck by Three Lightnings Archived 2017-07-04 at the Wayback Machine, Maria Lutsova, Maritsa Daily, March 18, 2017
* ↑ Le Papillon Art Gallery Presents Atanas Hranov – A Return to Chaldea, Kulturni Novini (Cultural News), July 21, 2015
* ↑ Atanas Hranov and Balthazar's Kettles, Teodora Konstantinova, artnewscafe, April 8, 2016
* ↑ Balthazar's Diaries – Painting and Sculpture Exhibition of Atanas Hranov, Teodora Konstantinova, artnewscafe, September 17, 2016
* ↑ The Clear Outlines of Mr. H., Nadezhda Usheva, Duma, April 28, 2017
* ↑ Le Papillon Art Gallery Presents Atanas Hranov – Portraits from a Journey, Kulturni Novini (Cultural News), July 3, 2017
* ↑ Atanas Hranov Presents New Scale Pictures in U PARK Gallery, Bulgarian National Television 1, The Day Begins with Culture, December 4, 2017
* ↑ Atanas Hranov Presents Breakfast in the Studio, Sofiapress, April 15, 2018
* ↑ Artist Atanas Hranov Visits Burgas with Exhibition Probable Landscape, Bulgarian News Agency, July 12, 2018
* ↑ „Atanas Hranov“, Programata, September 13, 2018