biography

Bulgarian-born Jivko Dinev first studied and taught fine arts in his homeland. He then worked on commissions by the Ministry of Bulgarian Culture. Following this he spent several years in Canada specialising in print-making at the Ontario College of Art and Design, Toronto, and also had several one-man shows. Since 2000, Jivko has been based in London, UK, painting with acrylics and working on private commissions. The exciting qualities of his paintings have led to their forming part of some discerning art collections in London, New York, Paris, Tokyo, Moscow, Toronto and Stockholm.

Colour, texture and strong composition are common elements in all of Jivko’s work. His most recent paintings show a preoccupation with the effect of particularly vivid colours. By juxtaposing the colours in unexpected ways he evokes different atmospheres that inspire a variety of emotional responses in the viewer. Above all, there is an intensity in the paintings that is testament to Jivko’s approach and his dedication to the rendering of his ideas.


Some of my artworks echo reality while others transcend it. But none of them copy reality - they are the product of imagination, invention and expression.