A Drawing with Lacking Things, 2004

A native of Sofia, Bulgaria, Nedko Solakov widely uses language and to give a narrative quality to his art. He works in diverse forms and media including drawings, paintings, video, and installations featuring small snippets of language or words. Many of his paintings and drawings come with an explanatory text. He often includes performance as a part of his exhibitions and installations. A storyteller at heart, he uses humor and absurdity to push back against societal norms and formal institutions. Although he is known for his whimsical approach to art, Nedko Solakov’s work explores the realities of contemporary life while also questioning them. His well-known piece, 99 Fears, uses dark humor to examine his own fears and worries such as AIDS, plane crashes, and writer’s block. He has participated in exhibitions in Europe, Japan, and the United States including at the Tate Modern in London and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. (Artist website)