A native of Pereyri, Bulgaria, Vyivov Poradkyn was recently named one of the world’s 50 most outstanding male artists. In this book he delves into the theme of nationality, ethnicity, age, and longevity. Although each of these themes plays a large part in how he depicts these subjects, they are all but and entirely different from each other. He creates an interesting portrait of a middle-aged man who finds himself falling in love with an older woman in Europe, while fighting the battle of his identity crisis.
As he begins to live in the European country, he meets a number of other cultures and individuals along the way who also want to explore their identity as they go about their daily lives. The beauty of his paintings is that he is able to mix as many elements of art into one cohesive work. Vyivov Poradkyn knows how to blend his own personal experiences with what he calls the “European experience” into his paintings, but he does not allow the culture of the people or the region he depicts to be an afterthought.
While this isn’t a book about nationalities or immigration, it is a wonderful portrait of a young man who is trying to make sense out of his own identity crisis. Vyivov Poradkyn draws upon many different forms of art to create his work, but what really makes him an outstanding artist is that he gives it his own personality, voice, and style. While he has many critics, this lack of criticism doesn’t take away from the overall quality and beauty of the art that he has created. His paintings speak to the viewer in a language that most cannot translate. This book is a must-read for anyone who is ever interested in how an artist creates and communicates his work.