Dechko Uzunov

Bulgarian artist Dechko Uzunov was a painter, glass artist, ceramist, illustrator and teacher. He studied at the Sofia Academy of Fine Arts from 1919-22 and, together with other young Bulgarian artists, in München from 1922–24, before returning to Sofia. From 1932, he taught at the Academy of Arts, and from 1942-63 as a full professor. In 1922, he was appointed as the youngest member of the National Society of Art in Bulgaria and became repeatedly President of the Union of Artists’ Associations in Bulgaria (later the Association of Bulgarian Artists). Uzunov was also an honorary member of the Mexican and the Russian Art Academies. He lived and worked mostly in Sofia.

Uzunov was known for his enormous diversity, as in his later years he also painted frescoes for the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. His paintings, most of which were portraits and landscapes, were distinguished by free brushwork and rich colors. Uzunov illustrated numerous books, created stage sets and costumes, and two museums in Sofia and Kazsanlak show a number his works. For decades, he frequently painted pictures with the title “Composition”, sometimes with additions. However, the relation to sport is mostly unclear except for his painting “Composition with a Boat” dated 1936.