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Interview with Valentin Yotkov
by Rocío
Heredia
"A soul embedded with the cultural wealth of his native
Bulgaria, Valentin Yotkov has been discovering the ancient
techniques used by the Thracian Masters, affirming his predilection
for art metals. We find in his pieces all these memories and
traditions in a metalwork full of imaginativeness, originality,
style and technique. Valentin's wisdom and generosity intrigues
and inspires his students. He helps them revealing the best
of them and can be considered the ultimate guiding master
to the practice of chasing and repoussé".
How did you discover your love for the Arts?
My passion for art has been greatly influenced by the rich
culture and tradition of my homeland Bulgaria. These have
instilled in me a valuable appreciation for the process of
creating. For as long as I can remember myself, I have been
an artist. Even in kindergarten, my teachers doubted that
the apple I had drawn as a homework assignment was my own
work and not my mother's.
Have you worked with any other visual art techniques?
I have done drawing and painting, glass blowing, ceramics,
but metal seemed to lure my attention more than anything else.
I was fascinated by its unique ability to move and flow as
if it were alive.
You are not only an artist, but a teacher as well.
Why is teaching so important to you?
In the modernization of the Western World, Chasing and Repoussé
became practically a lost art form. That is very unfortunate,
since these are two of the most magnificent, most fulfilling
techniques in metalsmithing. My ambition is to revive them
and to pass on as much of my knowledge and experience as possible
to the younger generation of metal artists.
Rumors have it that you are writing a book on the
subject.
Yes, in fact, it is a work in progress. My objective is to
create the most comprehensive and detailed manual on Chasing
and Repoussé. This book will focus not on how to do things
"the easy way" but on how to do them "the old way."
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