2024-07-30 07:53:44
- I have gone through this path, I have suffered and that is why I decided to help, says Yavor Kumanov, whose first charity exhibition was in the parliament building
- He uses an interesting technique with pressed charcoal, which is more difficult to erase and applied to paper other than paint
“I have gone through this difficult path – in 2017 I was diagnosed with cancer. At the first moment I was shocked. For five minutes I did not know how to react and I began to think not only about the terrible situation I have fallen into, but also about what lies ahead my relatives.” This is how the musician and artist Yavor Kumanov begins his story.
However, he quickly overcomes despair and begins to fight. He was operated on in a Plovdiv hospital and then underwent chemotherapy at the oncology center in the city.
“One should never give up – if you despair, you are lost
If something is written, it will happen. In such a situation, you have to overcome despair and fight,” Yavor is emphatic. He is 38 years old, but he has gone through many trials. He endures them with stoicism and will, he relies on the support of his family, he trusts in art and succeeds.
He decides to help those who suffer the most. He organized a charity exhibition “The Road” of his paintings in the parliament building.
The exhibition includes 21 graphic works and is for the purpose of supporting the oncology department of the Plovdiv UMBAL “St. George” and especially the small patients there.
The works “Lion”, “Longing” and “Grace” are part of the exhibition. People’s representatives, experts in the field of fine arts and journalists were present at the opening.
Yavor Kumanov was born in Dobrich in 1986 and graduated as a professional musician. He has been interested in drawing since early childhood.
“I know what suffering is and that’s why I decided to help,” said the artist. He is the second child in the family of Nela and Doicho Zhelevi, he has an older brother, Kaloyan.
As a student, he completed a music class with the accordion under teacher Sevdalin Simeonov. After that, he continued his studies at the Academy of Music, Dance and Fine Arts “Prof. Asen Diamandiev” in Plovdiv, where he graduated.
He’s had hearing problems since he was young, but that didn’t stop him from becoming a good musician
“On the contrary, it even helped me,” claims Yavor. With his favorite accordion, he is a member of the Thracian Mood orchestra.
“We play at assemblies, weddings, christenings, holidays in villages and towns. People like us and invite us. Most of our appearances are in the Thrace region, but recently we have been invited from Northern Bulgaria as well. We have a guest appearance in Lovech coming up,” says Kumanov.
Painting is his other passion. Even as a child, he picks up the pencil and paper and creates with them while his friends play outside.
“I started painting seriously from 2014, I have not taken lessons, I am self-taught
My first exhibition was in the city of Rakovski in 2018, and the next – in Haskovo,” said Kumanov.
This year, he organizes his exhibition in Plovdiv as well.
“Apparently drawing is a given for me and I decided that I have no right to waste it. I have felt the pencil since I was little. I manage to successfully combine music and drawing. I decided to make this charity exhibition to help sick children in the hope that I can help them as much as possible I can. I will also donate my funds.
I have never done such a thing until now. In August, I will go for preventive examinations and then I will give the collected funds,” says Yavor. He still manages to overcome the disease. His relatives, who are by his side during these difficult moments, also help him a lot.
“I continued to do music and painting, and it had a positive effect on me,” Kumanov added. Now he feels well, goes regularly for preventive examinations.
“If they invited me to meet sick children, I would be happy to talk to them.
I will do my best to give them courage and lift their spirits.”
the creator is categorical. He added that he plans to organize other charitable initiatives in the future. He is pleased that his current campaign is being received very well by strangers who have congratulated him on social networks and expressed their willingness to help the children.
He is happy that he is healthy and can do music and painting, which are his vocation. He is now actively playing his favorite sport – football. He decided to stay and live in Plovdiv.
“I liked the city and after I finished my higher education, I decided to stay here. I settled in Plovdiv and I don’t plan to leave. My father and brother worked in Spain and there was an opportunity for me to go there too, but I refused. My brother , who is also an accordionist, lives here. This makes it easier for us to communicate,” Yavor concluded.
He is pleased that the interest in his paintings is growing. The fact that he sent a work to a connoisseur in Germany a month ago speaks for this.
His last appearance was this month. Another of his drawings of the great poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev is painted on a wall. This time at the primary school “Hristo Botev” in the Varna village of Tarnava.
Before that, he painted the great Bulgarian in “Hristo Botev” Primary School in Rakovski. This happened on June 2, when Bulgaria bowed before the feat of those who died for freedom.
The technique that Yavor Kumanov uses is with pressed charcoal. It is made from charred wood dust and a binder, then shaped into short, thick sticks. Because of that he
has the most saturated black color among the others
types of coal,
but this quality also makes it much harder to erase. It does not break so easily and is suitable for tinting larger areas and surfaces.
Pressed charcoal is not only used alone but also in combination with other materials such as pastels, sangini and chalks. It is often used to highlight contours, highlights or to enhance contrast.
Finally, in order to preserve what has been created on a sheet of paper, the work must be fixed. With this technique, you draw on a special paper, which is different from the one on which you draw with paints.