Ioan Leviev (1934 – 1994), “Self-Portrait”, 1977

Ioan Isakov Leviev was born on 31.10.1934 in Plovdiv, died on 11.03.1994 in Plovdiv. Ioan Leviev is a Bulgarian artist of Jewish origin. He is the brother of jazz musician Milcho Leviev. In 1958, he graduated from the specialty of monumental-decorative painting at the Art Academy in the class of Prof. Georgi Bogdanov. Since 1960, he regularly takes part in the Plovdiv district exhibitions and the general art exhibitions of the SBH. Leviev is a member of the innovative Plovdiv school of the 1960s – a group that also includes Encho Pironkov, Georgi Bozhilov, Dimitar Kirov, Kolyu Vitkovski and Hristo Stefanov, known as the “April Generation”. Works in the field of easel and monumental painting, paints murals, decorative panels and makes mosaics. From 1970 onwards, he held numerous solo exhibitions in Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna and abroad (Warsaw, Prague, Los Angeles). He also makes scenography for opera productions. Works by Ioan Leviev are owned by the National Art Gallery, the Sofia City Art Gallery, galleries in the country and foreign collections. The “Ivan Vazov” public library in Plovdiv houses a collection of his projects for monumental works.