We speak with Bulgarian-French artist Stefan Nikolaev, who will be in Sofia on June 13 for BLACK DOTS—an art dinner featuring a unique authorial intervention. This intimate gastronomic event offers a rare chance to connect closely with the world-renowned artist and experience his work in a personal setting.
Hello Stefan! Where do we find you today?
Today I’m in Paris, at my home and part-time studio where I work. It’s located in the so-called central district of Paris—my favorite area. I’m really glad to be here right now, as I’ve been traveling a lot lately and rarely get the chance. I’m also enjoying the beautiful weather today :)
Do Sofia and Paris, the two cities between which you divide your time, complement each other?
I was born and raised in Sofia, but I also hold French citizenship after living in France for 40 years. At the time, Sofia was the place I left behind, and Paris represented the future—the development and education I aspired to. I can’t recall who said it, but I truly believe that a person without a past has no future. Today, I have both, and that’s a privilege I never dreamed of 30 years ago.
Since 2007, I’ve been traveling to Sofia monthly to work in my studio. Luckily, it’s located at Markov Studio in Trebich—though I’m not sure if they consider that as lucky as I do! I see it as a great opportunity to work there, and the people and their exceptional team have played a significant role in my development. As a result, Sofia has become an important production hub for me.
Roots matter—they bring a sense of comfort and the motivation to work with people you care about on projects that have really flourished in Bulgaria in recent years. My collaboration with Veselina Sarieva (Sarieva/Gallery) began somewhat turbulently, but it quickly grew with the dynamic energy that defines Sarieva/Gallery. Later, we began working with DOT Sofia, whose collection and art program Veselina curates.
Life in Sofia has changed significantly since the 1980s, as has the geopolitical landscape. Today, Sofia and Paris are both integral to my life—they complement each other in a way that feels natural and harmonious.
You often explore existential themes such as time, death, life, and fear. What are the most striking symbols in your work so far?
Even when abstract or seemingly detached from the world’s immediate problems, an artist’s work inevitably reflects the times they live in. Like any artist—be it a writer, filmmaker, or painter—I recreate the world I observe. We don’t reinvent it; we express what surrounds us. It passes through a “prism”—a bit of a cliché, perhaps, but still a useful metaphor—and emerges transformed, either beautified or distorted.
For me, the key themes have always been the tension between calm and restlessness in life, the shifting nature of the world, and how we respond to even the most basic aspects of existence.
Lately, I’ve been trying to focus on more peaceful work, though that hasn’t been easy. One example is Deadline, a piece I created during the pandemic. It reflects the “death of deadlines”—a metaphor for the collapse of rigid structures and obvious errors in our social, political, and personal lives. It raises the question: Can we live differently? A bit more freely? Maybe, in the end, nothing else really matters.
Global events like the pandemic didn’t drastically change the daily routine of an artist, who is often isolated in the studio anyway. But they did reorder priorities and shift how we perceive stress and the meaning of life. That’s when I started my Still Life series. It felt like a fresh beginning—a return to the fundamentals of creativity: apples, glasses, jugs, and other simple objects. I decided to narrow my focus to four classical genres: portrait, nude, still life, and landscape. I told myself, “Okay, I’m starting from scratch again.” :)
Deadline is located in the minimalist interior of the KOMAT restaurant
What makes DOT a home for your exhibitions? In other words, how do you connect with the place?
Years ago, Veselina Sarieva introduced me to Pancho Georgiev, the founder of DOT Sofia, back when it was still just a dream. Veselina and I had many conversations with him about the building. When you're involved in a project that is more than just a hotel, a restaurant, or a gallery—when it becomes something greater—it begins to feel like home.
The wordplay “DOT/HOME” may be a misspelling, but it conveys the feeling of a space that is both personal and shared. The building itself is enigmatic, and I believe more projects like this should be realized in Bulgaria and Sofia—not just the same old things we've seen over the years.
For far too long, we've witnessed the brutal degradation of the urban landscape in Sofia and across the country. Unscrupulous pseudo-investors sold shameless vulgarity under the label of “architecture,” and tragically, this trend went largely unchecked in the '90s and beyond. Thankfully, there’s now a growing awareness of the architect’s role in shaping communities, and a renewed understanding of the value of beauty over cheapness.
In this context, it was a true honor to be part of the opening of DOT Sofia with my first exhibition there, in collaboration with Sarieva/Gallery. To this day, I remain closely connected to the building. My works are part of the DOT Sofia Art Collection, which lives throughout the space—including the restaurant.
DOT Sofia was created with great love and intention. That’s not the only way to do things—but it’s certainly a better one.
The artwork Cold Bird is part of the exhibition HOME (2023), presented at DOT Sofia
A new, more personal event is coming up on June 13: the BLACK DOTS art dinner. What should we know about it?
First of all, I’m delighted to have been invited to collaborate on this event. The dinner is centered around artists and authors who intervene in established formats—a concept with deep roots in France and other European cultural scenes. It’s about enhancing the culinary experience through an artistic gesture.
For this edition, DOT Sofia Art Collection and the restaurant KOMAT invited me to take part with that exact idea in mind.
After many conversations, I decided to create something both visually striking, flavorful, and a little unexpected. The title BLACK DOTS is a nod to both black caviar and DOT itself. Guests will be welcomed with a handful of black caviar—served in a ceramic cast of my hand. There's a big imbalance between the idea of a handful of something, which is usually full of crumbs or something modest that has been received or offered, and the reality of a handful of black caviar. Here, black caviar is the opposite side of the coin: darker and more expensive. It's expensive and rare, but you get little in return. :)
This artistic intervention, shared with all the dinner guests, becomes an intimate experience—each person receives and takes away something personal from the artist. KOMAT will introduce a more direct innovation that captures the spirit of ever-evolving French cuisine (no need to say it’s the best :) ). As a bonus, guests will receive an art object with which they can quite literally—and figuratively—lick their fingers.
A cast of Stefan Nikolaev's hand, created for BLACK DOTS
But why exactly a handful of caviar?
There’s a certain irony in the gesture—a handful usually signifies modesty, a reminder that just a little can be enough. We shouldn't forget that for many people, the handful is their first plate. In places like India and North Africa, eating with the hands is still a daily ritual.
The handful is the body’s first tool—our first instinctive way to grab, hold, and measure the world. It’s a universal unit of connection, both practical and symbolic. So presenting something as rare and luxurious as black caviar in a handful becomes a provocative contrast—mixing simplicity with excess, instinct with refinement.
What feeds our souls today?
It’s a difficult question. We often assume that spirituality and the intangible nourish the soul—but sometimes, a good meal and a glass of wine can do just as much.
Yes, art feeds us. It shapes personalities, sharpens intellect, and builds culture. But the soul we ponder over—the one we carry in the palm of our hand—might find nourishment in the warmth of the sun, a slice of bread with butter and honey, or the sweetness of a ripe peach.
What the soul truly needs is kindness, love, shared moments—and, of course, a little black caviar.
xxx
About Stefan Nikolaev
Stefan Nikolaev was born in Sofia in 1970 and currently divides his time between Paris and Sofia. He graduated from the Art High School in Sofia, the Paris Academy of Fine Arts, and the Winchester School of Art in England.
Nikolaev’s work has been showcased in numerous solo exhibitions at prestigious galleries worldwide. He represented Bulgaria at the 2007 Venice Biennale and has participated in several international biennales, including those in Guangzhou, Korea, and Lyon.
His art has featured in significant group exhibitions and is included in major collections such as K11 MUSEA in Hong Kong; Museum Voorlinden in Wassenaar, the Netherlands; the Vehbi Koç Foundation in Istanbul; and the Centre de Création Contemporaine Olivier Debré (CCOD) in Tours, France.
Nikolaev’s work has also been presented at renowned art fairs including Art Basel and FIAC. In 2004, he was honored with the UNESCO Art Prize at the Cetinje Biennale.
BLACK DOTS is presented by the DOT Sofia Art Collection and the KOMAT restaurant, in partnership with Sarieva Gallery.
For reservations, please contact Restaurant Komat at +359 888 117 113