In 2026, the ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ National Endowment Fund, jointly with the Sliven Community Donation Fund, organised the 12th Plein-air Wine Event at the Hadji Dancho’s Houses Ethnographic Complex in Sliven.
Artist Gabriela Stefanova participated in the event for the sixth consecutive year. She graduated in Advertising Graphics from the Dimitar Dobrovich National Secondary School of Fine Arts in Sliven. In 2010, she completed her higher education in Interior Design at the New Bulgarian University in Sofia. In 2021, dedicating herself entirely to painting, she founded her own studio. She works primarily in oil painting, combining classical techniques with contemporary expression and experimentation.
She answered questions specifically for Untold Stories:
- What do you think about the Plein-air Event organised by NEF ‘13 Centuries of Bulgaria’ at the Hadji Dancho’s Houses Ethnographic Complex in Sliven?
The Plein-air Wine Event is a wonderful, long-standing tradition that unites artists and attracts art connoisseurs every year.
- Have you taken part in any of the previous plein-air wine events, and if so, do you have any recommendations?
I have been participating in the Plein-air Wine Event for six consecutive years, and I enjoy it tremendously.
- Do you think this open-air format of the event at the Hadji Dancho’s Houses Ethnographic Complex in Sliven has a future?
It has a future as long as there is a desire to maintain the tradition.
- What is a typical day like for an artist? Do you paint every day?
I paint every day. The profession of an artist is just like any other profession.
- What inspires you the most?
I am inspired by everything beautiful that I see. It is important for an artist to train their eye and find inspiration in the world around them.
- What do you dream of?
I dream of an appreciative public for the works I create.
Questions posed by Theodora Bankovska
17 September 2026
Translated by Nigrita Davies