A journey into the surreal world of Bulgarian painter Anton-Constantin Anastassov

"Art will free us and we will have open minds for the unknown," says the artist

published on 10/6/25 11:50 AM

Photo: Facebook /Anton-Konstantin Anastassov

Anton-Constantin Anastassov is presenting his exhibition "Corridor" at the Sofia gallery Jenifer Artemis Art Gallery, which was opened on October 4. Unburdened by the mental clichés of older generations, he gives free rein to insights born in dreams or in the subconscious, which has mercifully opened its otherwise inaccessible spaces for a moment.

"In the exhibition, one can see quite strange and sometimes sinister creatures, but the most important thing is to have an open mind and an open consciousness to all possibilities," says its creator.

In the corridor, filled with windings, doors and shadows, man is dismembered, and his remains are embedded in representatives of the animal and plant worlds and even in the interior itself. In these assembled creatures, the head is that of a horse, a fish, a mushroom, while homo sapiens seems not to be assigned the role of thinking, but only of obeying. All this evokes the feeling of an apocalypse, in which the most resilient seem to be creatures considered inferior to us.

"I am inspired by the surrealist style, in which what is depicted is a metaphor for emotions or complex combinations of thoughts, sometimes contradictory", says Anton-Constantin in the studio of Radio Bulgaria. "I love drawing animals and I think that they should be more respected. When we see an animal in a painting, I do not think of it as something separate from man, because it is some kind of reflection of man. For example, if it is a rabbit, it can be the innocence in us, and if it is a horse - it can be related to kindness, confidence. That is, every animal can have its own human characteristic."

The world created by the artist is beautiful, colorful, enchanting, but at the same time, something seems to whisper to us to be careful about what lies behind the apparent calm, so as not to end up on the other side, where the person can be dismembered and thrown on the road.

"There really is such a painting that is inspired by the setting of a Sofia street", explains Anton-Constantin. "There is a body lying on the road, but it is a doll - there is no blood, plants are coming out of it and it really contains something apocalyptic. The scene can be viewed in several ways, but I do not like to give a specific interpretation. I prefer that people be guided by their own point of view. It can have both a good and a bad side, depending on the way they look at a painting. For example, the good side can be that plants are coming out of the broken doll - a metaphor for the fact that when we are hurt, we can become wiser and learn how to act."

The artist's advice to all of us is to become more open to the mysterious, because even though it may contain some danger, it may contain something that can improve us and free us.

Anton-Constantin Anastassov is only 25 years old, but he has already participated in twelve individual or group exhibitions in Bulgaria, Germany and the United States, each with a different theme. In his work, he is inspired by Hieronymus Bosch, Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso, without imitating any of them. He defines his latest exhibition as very special, "because I have focused on paintings related to perspective and depth, but not only in a metaphorical but also in a literal sense, which attract the eye to look deeply into the images".

He is charged with optimism and at the same time realizes that the future is uncontrollable, because it is in the hands of each of us and depends on the choices we will make.

"The future is unclear," concludes Anton-Constantin. "There are good signs that humanity is becoming wiser, but there is still a long way to go and it is not entirely certain what will happen. Much of the world is extremely unfair, and what gives me a little hope is that we must say to ourselves: "Let's move forward despite what is happening and try to do the best we can." And even if this does not fix the whole world, at least we will have tried."

Through his works the artists sends his message: "Art will free us and we will be open-minded to the unknown. There are both terrible and very beautiful things in the world, so we must be aware and take things with calm." Armed with such an attitude, let us venture into the corridor and allow ourselves to get lost. There - on the border between dreams and reality, we may find deliverance from our own demons and fears.

Photos: Facebook /Anton Constantin-Anastassov

English publication: R. Petkova

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