Kaloyan Iliev - Kokimoto
Born in 1979 in Varna, Bulgaria
2007 Graduated MA in Graphics at the Faculty of Fine Arts in St. Cyril and St. Methodius, Veliko Turnovo University, Bulgaria
2008 Specialization from the Graphic Art Department at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lodz, Poland
Lives and works in Varna
In his works recreate Kokimoto the relationship between himself and people in a manipulated reality. The unusual thinks that he create in graphics, drawings, collages, photographs and installations are as fruit of my memories and creative inventions. In many of his works can be seen the interest in various social problems. “New world order”, the role of icons in modern society and attitudes towards animals are just some of the topics that repeatedly can be found in the works. Passing of religion in politics, to everyday situations absurd, he is interested in more common emotional and mental conditions such as narcissism, longing for love and beauty. Kokimoto have already been working with existing visual material, which he enrich with his own developments with narrative character. He tell the stories in a new way, focusing on specific aspects of the plot and so he describe his experiences once again, but this time as a spectator.
Solo exhibitions:
2018
- Y K (You Love Kokimoto), Gifted, Sofia (BG)
- Mercury Retrograde, Contemporary Space, Varna (BG)
- SeaEscape, Marine Casino, Burgas (BG)
- Beneath the Surface, Mexican Arts House, National Autumn Exhibitions Plovdiv(BG)
- Spiritual Trip, Photosynthesis, Varna(BG)
- Kokimoto Surprise, Intro Gallery, Sofia(BG)
2017
- Mercury Retrograde, Arosita Gallery, Sofia(BG)
- Global Worminc, Cu29 Gallery, Plovdiv(BG)
2016
- Matryo$ka, A+ Gallery, Sofia(BG)
- Matryo$ka, Contemporary Space, Varna(BG)
2015
- Global Worminc, Arosita Gallery, Sofia(BG)
- SeaEscape, Urban P.A.R.K. Gallery, Plovdiv(BG)
2014
- Inversion Project with Antoniya Koleva – Nitra, Contemporary Space, Varna (BG)
- Spiritual Trip, Photography, Betahaus, Sofia(BG)
- Erotic Sound In The Wheels Of The Christian Engine, City Art Gallery, Varna (BG)
- Deja-vu permanent, K.E.V.A. Sofia(BG)
- The egocentric love 2, Temporary Space, Gabrovo(BG)
- Kokimoto Surprise, Contemporay Space, Varna(BG)
- The egocentric love, Bulart Gallery, Varna(BG)
- La vie en rose, Modern Art Gallery, Sofia(BG)
2012
- So fresh, so clean 2, 1908 Gallery, Sofia(BG)
- So fresh, so clean, Bulart Gallery, Varna(BG)
- Spiritual trip, Epreuve d’Artiste Gallery, Antwerpen, (BE)
2011
- Ex Libris artist of today, The Frederikshavn Art Museum, Denmark (DK)
- Samples of reality, Arhis Gallery, Varna(BG)
- The road to the top, Under P.A.R.K. Gallery, Plovdiv(BG)
- Seascapes by Kokimoto, 1908 Gallery, Sofia(BG)
2010
- Erotic sound in the wheels of the Christian engine, 5 Open Art Space, Sofia(BG)
- Bulgarian posts: traditions, quality, confidence, Yuka Gallery, Varna(BG)
- Circulus vitiosus: I’m the great, because I’m the great, Bulart Gallery, Varna(BG)
- Contemporary cats by Kokimoto, Sigvardson Gallery, Rodby(DK)
- Identity lost, 1908 Gallery, Sofia(BG)
- You are involved, just like me, Bulart Gallery, Varna(BG)
2008
- A matter of taste/Showcase #1, Octopus Industries Studio, Sofia(BG)
- System error, FOF Gallery, Varna(BG)
2007
- Kokimoto in the insane land, Comics Club, Varna(BG)
2006
-Permanent drawings, Yanaki Manasiev Museum, Veliko Turnovo(BG)
Selected group exhibitions:
2018
- The Gift, Institute for Contemporary Art – ICA, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Anticonception, AEther, Haga, Nederland
- Cosmodrum, One Monev Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Imago Mundi, Luciano Benetton Collection, Salone degli Incanti, Trieste, Italy
- Graphic Art Exhibition, Bulgarian Cultural Institute Gallery, Czech Republic
- Persecution of Evil Spirits, Rayko Aleksiev Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
2017
- Fifth Annual Exhibition - Context, Contemporary Space, Varna, Bulgaria
- A Show without a Title but in the Holiday Spirit, Institute of Contemporary Art – Sofia, Bulgaria
- CLUSTER Collective Exhibition, Fourth Edition – Illustration,
Below One Fifteen pop up space, Shoreditch, London
- RE FORGET YOUR PAST Project by Nikola Mihov, Photosynthesis Gallery, Sofia
- THE ARTBOX.PROJECT Basel 1.0, Jean Tinguely “Luminator” Exhibition event space Euroairport, Art Basel Art Weeks in Basel, Switzerland
- 16th International Triennial of Small Graphic Forms, Lodz, Poland (catalogue)
- International Biennial of Bookplates and Small Printmaking, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium (catalogue)
- First International Print Biennial Yerevan, Armenia (catalogue)
2016
- Samovar Exhibition, Coucou Gallery, Kassel, Germany
- Image and Likeness, 77 self-portraits from the collection of Nikolai Nedelchev,
City Art Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria (catalogue)
- European Cuteness Art, Sofia Arsenal-MCA, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Guangzhou International Exlibris and Mini-prints Biennial, Art Museum of Guangzhou, China
- 4th OSTEN BIENNIAL of DRAWING Skopje, Macedonia
- 5th PRINTMAKING Exhibition Istanbul, Painting and Sculpture Museums Association, Turkey
- European Cuteness Art, Pallazzo Del Parlamento di Romania,
Sala Espositiva “Constantin Brancusi”, Bucharest, Romania
2015
- Samovar Exhibition, Coucou Gallery, Kassel, Germany
- Save the Dreams, Contemporary Artists from Bulgaria, Bulgarian collection of Imago Mundi - Luciano Benetton Collection, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, Venice, Italy (catalogue)
- 4th Edition Premio Santa Croce Ex libris - Piccola Grafica, Villa Pacchiani - Centro Espositivo,
Santa Croce Sull’Arno, Italy (catalogue)
- I Love This Film, Plakatkombinat Exhibition, Casa del cinema, Rome, Italy
- The Paper in Contemporary Art, Yordan Parushev Foundation, Bulgarian Cultural Institute,
Paris, France (catalogue)
2014
- Assembly of Shame, MOZEI Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Plakatkombinat Exhibition, Bulgarian Cultural Institute London, United Kingdom
- Contemporary Bulgarian Print, Ateneo de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Eurasia Art Express Project, International Art Fair, MBC Gallery and SSEE Space
Daejeon, South Korea
- The 3rd Guangzhou International Exlibris and Mini Prints Biennial, China (catalogue)
- Hanga Forum, Contemporary Bulgarian Print Exhibition, Higashi Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture,
Japan (catalogue)
2013
- The Third Finger Exhibition, Contemporary Space, Varna, Bulgaria
- The Wrong, New Digital Art Biennale, Homeostasis Lab public & unlimited pavilion,
São Paulo, Brasil
2012
- Chances, Choices, Changes, Marina Galvani World Bank art curator, NDK, Sofia,
Bulgaria (catalogue)
- Contemporary Bulgarian Printmaking, Vernon Public Art Gallery, Kelowna,
British Columbia, Canada (catalogue)
- MOST - THE WINNERS Exhibition, Museum Gallery of Modern Art, Sofia, Bulgaria
- SHOOP, Contemporary Digital Images, curated by Studio Don’t Fuck This Up, Dallas, Texas, USA
- East of best. Young Bulgarian Contemporary Art, Roodkapje Rottterdam Gallery,
Rotterdam, the Netherlands (catalogue)
2011
- Post Pop Punks, Cohn Drennan Contemporary Gallery, Dallas, Texas, USA
- Animal Farm, Epreuve d’ Artiste Gallery, Antwerpen, Belgium (brochure)
- IV International Printmaking Exhibition, Museum of Painting and Sculpture, Istanbul, Turkey (catalogue)
- The 3rd Bangkok Triennale International Print and Drawing Exhibition, Bangkok, Thailand (catalogue)
- Curated by Vienna 2011, Portraits and self portraits in private collections, Curated by Liliana
Popescu, Knoll Gallery, Vienna, Austria (catalogue)
- Dream boxes, Shipka 6 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Border situation: The drawing in contemporary art, curated by Yovo Panchev, Bulgarian Cultural
Institute, Prague, Czech Republic
2010
- SHORTLIST 2010, Exhibition of the nominated artist for the Gaudenz B. Ruf Award,
Rayko Aleksiev Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria (catalogue)
- The Big Wave, curated by Maria Vasileva, August in Art, Biennial of Contemporary Art,
Varna, Bulgaria, (catalogue)
- KunStart 10, 7th International Art Fair of Bolzano, Italy, Curated by David Tomasi (catalogue)
- 10х5х3, curated by Daniela Radeva, Shipka 6 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Exhibition of Section 13, Industrialna 11 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Border Situation: The Drawing in Contemporary Art, curated by Yovo Panchev,
Industrialna 11 Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
- The 14th International Biennial Print Exhibition, R.O.C. Taichung, Taiwan (catalogue)
- Contemporary Bulgarian Printmaking Exhibition, Higashi Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
2009
- LETTRA – Print and Letter, curated by Teresa B. Frodyma , Krakow, Poland (catalogue)
- ARTVILNIUS, the First International Contemporary Art Fair in the Baltic States
Litexpo, Vilnius, Lithuania (catalogue)
- 3rd International Printmaking Exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey (catalogue)
- Collective Exhibition Museo Ex Libris Mediterraneo, Complesso
Monumentale S. Anna, Ortona, Italy (catalogue)
- 15th International Print Biennial Exhibition, Varna, Bulgaria (catalogue)
- Contemporary Bulgarian Art Prints, Higashi Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan (catalogue)
- The First Alexandria Biennial for Miniature Graphics, Egypt (catalogue)
2008
- 1st International Printmaking Biennial Exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey (catalogue)
- XXXII International Ex Libris Congress in Beijing, China (catalogue)
- 1st Contemporary Art Festival Puzzle, Burgas, Bulgaria
- XV International Naestved Exhibition of Contemporary Mini Prints Exhibition, Denmark
Selected awards:
2012
- MOST, Award for Bulgarian Contemporary Art, Museum Gallery of Modern Art, Sofia, Bulgaria
2011
- Nomination for Stoyan Kambarev Fondation Art-Prize, Sofia, Bulgaria
2010
- Nomination for the Gaudenz B. Ruf Award for Contemporary Art, SHORTLIST 2010, Sofia, Bulgaria
2009
- Annual Stalker Award, Georgi Velchev Museum, Varna, Bulgaria
- Annual Award for young artist, Bulart Gallery, Varna, Bulgaria
- Award for Contemporary Print, Higashi Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, Japan
2008
- Award for young Artist, National Exhibition of Small Graphic Forms, SIBANK Gallery, Sofia
- Grand Prix, 4th International Biennial of Mini Prints, Tetovo, Republic of Macedonia
- Silver Medal, 2nd Remo Palmirani’s Prize, Museo Exlibris Mediterraneo, Ortona, Italy
2007
- Honour Prize, VII International Exlibris Competition Gliwice, Poland
- 1st Award for Engraving, Bulgaria - Part of the European Puzzle,
National Campaign of Meglena Kuneva, Sofia, Bulgaria
2006
- 2nd Award for Painting, Fine Arts International Contest Antonio Gualda, Granada, Spain