Biography

Robert Canev was born on April 9, 1963 in Gabrovo, Bulgaria. He finishes Iliya Petrov High-school of Arts in Sofia in 1982, and in 1987 graduates from the National Academy of Arts, Sofia, section wood-carving at professor Anton Dontchev's studio. Between 1991 and 2003 Canev tought wood-carving at the High-school of Applied Arts, Sofia. Currently he is associate professor in wood-carving at the National Academy of Arts, Sofia. He is a member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists (UBA), section wood-carving, and between 1999 and 2002 he was a chairman of the section. Robert Canev works in the sphere of small wooden sculpture, monumental arts, iconostasis and non-standard interior decisions.

One-man shows:

• 1989 - Exhibition, Furniture Hall, UBA, 5 Ruski str., Sofia.
• 1994 - Wood sculpture Exhibition, Hungarian Cultural Institute, Sofia.
• 1994 - Wood sculpture Exhibition, Junge Kunstwerk Start Galerie, Vienna, Austria.
• 1996 - Wood sculpture Exhibition, Amerlinghaus Kulturzentrum, Vienna, Austria.
• 1996 - Wood sculpture Exhibition, Junge Kunstwerk Start Galerie, Vienna, Austria.
• 2005 - Wood sculpture Exhibition, Bulgaria Art Gallery, Sofia.

Group shows:

• 1989 - Plainair, Esslingen am Neckar, Germany.
• 1989 - Participations in representative exhibitions of Bulgarian applied art in Tunisia and the Czech Republic.
• 1991 - Configura I International Triennial of Applied Arts - Erfurt, Germany.
• 1996 - Exhibition of Bulgarian Applied Art, New York, USA.
• 1997 - Fujikasai - Art Space International Competition, Osaka Airport, Japan.
• 1997 - Pelican Gallery Exhibition, St. Ciril and Metodius International Foundation, Sofia.
• 1998 - Applied Arts Room, St. Ciril and Metodius International Foundation, Sofia.
• 2000 - Central European International Plainair, Tallya, Hungary.
• 2002 - Wood-carving Plainair, Brienz, Switzerland.
• 2003 - Wood-carving Exhibition, Hungarian Cultural Institute, Sofia.
• 2004 - A Road to the Temple, Wood-carving Exhibition, National Art Gallery, section Old Bulgarian Art, Cript, Sofia.
• 2004 - No Boundaries Exhibition, textile, wood-carving, UBA Gallery, 1 Shipka str., Sofia.
• 2004 - Wood-carving Exhibition "x 2", Art Alley Gallery, Sofia.
• 2005 - Recontre Europeenne sculpture, Montauban, France.
• 2006 - Wood-carving Exhibition "Water - A Boundary", National Art Gallery, section Old Bulgarian Art, Cript, Sofia.
• 2006 – The Works of the Tutors at the National Academy of Arts Exhibition, Sofia City Gallery of Arts, Sofia
• 2007 – Christian Themes – Modern Perspective Exhibition, Altera Gallery, Sofia
• 2007 – Tradition and Succession Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Old Bulgarian Art Section, The Crypt, Sofia
• 2008 – Tradition and Succession Exhibition, Museum of Icon-painting and Wood-carving, Tryavna
• 2008 – Plein-air of Wood Plastic Art, the village of Debelets, Veliko Tarnovo District
• 2008 г. – Eviction of the Masochist from Hell, Gabrichidze Gallery, Brussels, Belgium

Robert Canev participated in all group shows of UBA Wood-carving section exhibitions between 1988 and 2004.

The artist's works are owned by:

National Gallery of Applied Arts, Sofia; Yambol City Gallery of Applied Arts; Esslingen am Neckar Art Gallery, privare collections in Austria, Germany, USA, South Corea, Japan, Hungary, Spain, and Bulgaria.