Luben Boykov at The Rooms

Twelve years ago I was offered an assignment to work in Sofia, Bulgaria. I knew little of the country but recalled that many Bulgarians defected to Canada in the early 1990s through a stopover on their flight in Newfoundland, where I grew up. The summer I was leaving for Sofia, I spent a month in St. John's, and called The Association for New Canadians, and asked if there were any Bulgarians I could get in touch with.

They said there was a sculptor named Luben who lived outside the city so I looked him up in the phonebook and called him out of the blue, introducing myself and telling him I was leaving for Sofia. Luben invited me to his studio and later to his home to meet his wife, artist Elena Popova. While in Sofia it turned out I lived around the corner from his parents so would visit them occasionally, bringing almonds and coffee from Canada.

Flash forward 11 years. Luben's wife Elena is not only a friend but now one of my gallery artists, who will have a solo show at tinku gallery this fall. Both of their careers have flourished tremendously.

One of the many feathers in their caps is the current exhibition of Luben's sculptures at The Rooms, Newfoundland & Labrador's provincial art museum. The show is running until the end of the summer and I am planning a visit in June to see the works in person and to have a nice visit with Luben & Elena.

Do check it out if you find yourself in St. John's. Or view a slideshow of the exhibition here.

Image credit: CBC.ca