There are at least three artists in this generation who deserve to be called “geniuses”. They are: Atanas Yaranov, Dimitar Kazakov and Valchan Petrov. A powerful strain flows through their creations and through their own personal lives as well .These artists seek new forms in plastic language and the artistic imagination of their expression establishes them beyond all artistic movements and schools of this era.

     These are artists with stylistic differences beyond comparison. One Bosh. one Goya, one Tiepolo. They are beyond evolution. They are worlds by themselves. It has been almost impossible to grasp the logic of their creation and the extraordinary value of their artistry. About Valchan Petrov: In the early seventies, I noticed that his first presentation was a picture with an “Orpheus” inspiration: drinking peasants among rambling vines. I included the picture in a documentary film on traditional ceramics. This was a scene of poetry. At that time, I realized that this was an impressive- beginning. and that a new and gifted artist had appeared. As is the case with all remarkable creators, this first picture of Valtchan Petrov contained elements of his future artistic development. He has portrayed themes of pre-Christian mythology, and our heathen antiquity. Even more impressive was his portrayal of himself within his creation “Confession”, so that he could play a part in the conception of the “orpheism”, or of the mysteries portraying “orgies”. This artist proved to be- not only an excellent interpreter of paganism, but was living and confessing it. The mystery of that age was flowing through his compositions. The style of his figures, of course, was contemporary, but demonstrated those ancient spiritual lives.

     In the meantime changes could be discerned taking place within the artist himself. In my opinion it was evident in his production of “Earth” in which the ploughing of the soil was presented as an icon. A new sensitivity entered - the astonishing contemplation of Christianity.

     It is not my intention to review his works chronologically, but I would like to include some references. From the early 80’s, an incredibly strong “Baroque” was obvious in his paintings. In principle, he has always paid most attention to the ethnography, dress, dance, gestures and symbolic movement of the figures.

     These have always been present in his work, but now combined with elements of ancient folk skills.

     All these are now concentrated in his creations. The figures emerge from the - “Baroque” scene in the immensely complicated symbols of the decor. These pictures constitute the structure of our “Baroque”. They match the perfection of the- icons from the middle of the 18th century. His work is the strongest representation of the “Baroque” style that Bulgaria has ever produced.

     However, the decoration in his works has a deeper meaning: Gold is not used for decorative- purposes in Bulgarian art. It is inherited from neoplatonism - the golden background reflects the eternal ideas - stylistic dahlias, rambling vines, birds picking at their grapes - all these are symbols of Paradise. This is quite clear in his creations: “Baptism” and “The Golden Century”. The background and the earth are complete with symbols, of heavenly richness.

     The seemingly overdecorated landscape gives us a vision of “blissfulness”. This is “The garden of Eden” - “The - Promised Land”. Valchan Petrov becomes the ideal messenger of the ethnic psyche of the blood of Bulgaria in the wide sense of the word, including the Thracian and even the preceding non - indo - European population. This is what archeology calls earth still unpopulated by human presence and this can be sensed in Valchan Petrov. He goes to great depths to apply all traditions of Bulgarian soil !