Jacko Vassilev’s portrayal of Bulgaria gives us a compelling look at the expressions, emotions, and heart of the Bulgaria’s humble inhabitants. He communicates to us the strength and beauty of the human spirit that prevails in spite of difficult living conditions and political oppression. These photographs were taken while Bulgaria was under Communist Totalitarianism, which restricted photographic liberty. His dark room has been raided in the past as the government viewed his work as a threat because it exposed the oppressive conditions of the people. His bravery to venture out and risk imprisonment in effort to document the reality of his people is extremely admirable.

Photographs by Jacko Vassilev have been published in the book entitled Bulgarians, by Contrejour Publishers in Paris, as well as in Harpers Weekly Magazine. His work is in the permanent collections of the International Center for Photography in New York and the European Center of Photography in Paris, France.

We will be featuring his original gelatin silver and digital prints from his Bulgarian, Romanian, Albanian, and American series. Come by to meet a wonderful man and master photographer!