Ventsislav Shtarkov

Meet the artist

When it comes to the fine art of traditional icon painting, Ventsislav Shtarkov is a true Master! He has been creating icons for more than 40 years following his graduation from the University of "St. Cyril and Methodius" in Sofia, Bulgaria, where he specialized in "mural painting". Ventsislav worked in his studio, located at the beautiful "Samovodska bazaar" in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, until 2020, where he delighted tourists with his wonderful, traditional icons. His work can be found in personal collections all over the world, including Europe, USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, India, Japan and Korea.

The largest private collection of his icons (76 in number) is located in Nashville, Tennessee, USA and is owned by Dr. Richard Buchanan. Another collection of 18 of his icons is located in New York, and they are also a part of a private collection. Ventsislav has participated in exhibitions in his native Bulgaria, as well as abroad, including in England and Belgium. He was invited to give lectures on icon painting aboard the ships "Danube Tours" and "Atlantic Tours," where he shared his experience and knowledge with art lovers from all over the world.

Years ago, one of Ventsislav's client was the Bishop of the Methodist Church in Korea - Pastor Hamartolos. The Pastor greatly admired Ventsislav's icons, and over time, they become good friends. Ventsislav visited Korea in 2007, at the invitation of the Methodist Church. He lived in their monastery, and introduced the monks to the intricacies of icon painting. The Korean hosts organized a program that gave Ventsislav the opportunity to tour Korea, including a visit to the University of Slavic Philology, where Bulgarian philology is studied as well. He gave lectures on icon painting technology at Seoul Methodist University, passing on his valuable knowledge to younger generations of icon painters.

Following his return to Bulgaria, Ventsislav maintained his friendship with two pastors from Korea, and they remained his students for 2 years. They returned to Korea as very good icon painters, thanks to their dedicated teacher, and their diligent approach of mastering the fine art of traditional icon painting.