Vera Lukova

Vera Lukova is among the prominent names of the Society of Women Artists in Bulgaria. She was born in 1907 in Plovdiv, and in 1930 graduated in painting from the Academy of Arts in Sofia under Boris Mitov. She was a member of the Society of New Artists, established in 1931, which marked a new beginning in Bulgarian art. Vera Lukova participated in numerous joint exhibitions, as well as organized solo exhibitions in the country. Her work takes the form of portraits, self-portraits, still lifes, landscapes and figurative compositions. Her portraits of prominent Bulgarian figures such as Boyan Danovski, Alexander Zhendov, Veska Emanuilova, Sirak Skitnik and Nikolay Shmirgela preserve their spirit with their strong psychological expressiveness. In 1931, the artist was awarded the State Prize for Painting. Her style is distinguished by modern aesthetic views, handwriting and searches for new artistic forms that move away from mimetic imitation of nature. In her early works, she uses a technique reminiscent of wet fresco, and later a technique of scraping with a sharp object, leaving the canvas and bright vibrant colors visible in places. She was awarded a gold medal from the Paris Exhibition in 1937 and the Order of Cyril and Methodius - 1st degree in 1967.