Others about us. Interview for boulevard.bg. Editor Neli Dimitrova, March 30, 2017.

 

 

"Zografov and Son," established in 1991, is a family-owned company specializing in the design and production of items made from noble and colourful metals, as well as exotic wood. They create jewellery vessels, souvenir replicas of objects from ancient treasures, official protocol gifts, interior and exterior metal decorations (such as railings, grilles, arches), accessories for cigars and pipes, and other similar products.

 

 

The technology they use is close to the techniques of ancient craftsmen but enriched with modern methods to achieve quality and durability.

 

 

The family craft is passed down through generations - even the great-grandfather Bozhin-Emanoil Stimeniy Zograf (1834-1926), originally from the Vardar town of Enidzhe, was an artist who graduated in iconography in Athens. According to his son Vasil Zografov, he painted churches in almost the entire region, in Vardar, Kukush, Doiran, Nigrita, Strumica.

 

 

 

The founder of the company is his great-grandson, Nikolay Zografov, who was previously involved in filigree and silver jewellery (until 1986) and wrought copper (1986-1991) for the state-owned "People's Creativity." Together with his wife Titsiana, he registered "Zografov and Son" on April 10, 1991.

 

 

In 2008, after graduating in the speciality of "Metal" from the Applied Faculty of the National Academy of Arts (NAA), their son Lyubomir Zografov joined them. From the following year, his wife, Boriana Angelova, a set designer who graduated from NATFA "Kr. Sarafov," also became part of the family business.

 

 

 

"The Monument of Peace" by Lyubomir Zografov - a dove of peace made from 350 Kalashnikov rifles, located in the garden at the intersection of the streets "Rakovski" and "Gurko" in the capital.

 

 

 

Among the owners of Zografov's creations are prominent figures such as Angelina Jolie, Anatoly Karpov, Klaus Maine, Felix Baumgartner, Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, and former and current heads of state including Albert II, Vladimir Putin, Georgi Parvanov, Bronislaw Komorowski, Nursultan Nazarbayev, and Bill Clinton. President Petar Stoyanov presented an award designed by Lyubomir Zografov, shaped like the globe, to Bill Clinton at the Center for Global Dialogue and Cooperation (CGDC).

 

 

Since May 1, 2014, the company has been registered as an LLC and is named "Zografov and Son."

 

 

In an interview with Bulevard.bg, Lyubomir Zografov shares insights into the responsibility of creating gifts for connoisseurs and famous personalities, the inspiration drawn even from the Holy Grail, and intriguing details about some of the most interesting items in their assortment.

 

 

• Tell us about the roots of this hereditary craft.

 

My great-grandfather Bozhin excelled in several names; he was an icon painter, creating icons in various churches across the Balkans. He even has several drawings in Rome, in the Basilica of St. Peter. No matter how challenging, he managed to support a large family with this craft, indicating his excellence in his work. I believe that from then on, the foundation of our artistic family was laid, serving as additional inspiration for us to continue on this path.

 

 

 

 

Bozhin-Emanoil Stimeniy Zograf (1834-1926). His frescoes can also be found in the old church of Gorna Dzhumaya (now Blagoevgrad).

 

 

• How did you personally gravitate towards working with materials such as gold, silver, and forged copper?

 

For me, it was a natural progression. I know from my father that, as a child, he was deeply impressed when he saw the inscription "Μεν με ναποιησε Νικοστην" (Nikosten wrote me) at the bottom of a Greek vessel. Overall, he managed to pass on that feeling to me - to build the concept of the company, to move in this direction: to create things that will outlive us. To evoke emotions for people and for someone, someday, to discover these things and be inspired in the same way my father once was.

 

 

 

Nikolay Zografov in his studio.

 

 

• If you were starting now as a young person, what would be attractive and challenging in this field?

 

Our work is very interesting, at least for us, and personally, I can't imagine another profession. There are several reasons - to bring joy to people, to leave something behind... But our work also carries a lot of responsibility. Some of our creations are owned by people like Bill Clinton, Angelina Jolie, and many other well-known personalities. We must present ourselves well, create valuable products that impress them. Honestly, that's what drives me to work harder every day. If I were starting from scratch now, I would want exactly that.

 

• Why did you choose to work with such materials?

 

It's a craft we inherited, and these are the real materials. They come from ancient times, and we manage to give them a much more modern look - to appear luxurious and be of high quality

 

We work with various materials - from steel, coloured metals (copper, brass), silver, gold, precious and semi-precious stones to exotic woods such as wenge, ebony, walnut, mahogany. We process them in a specific way.

Overall, every year we add new technology to the range of technologies we have. We love to experiment and create new models precisely through technologies and materials.

 

 

 

At the 'Zografov and Son' studio

 

 

• Have there been cases where a customer's order or request posed a challenge for you?

 

Yes, I would say that quite a few orders pose challenges for us because we put a lot of effort and dedication into preserving the spirit and desires of the customer, meeting their expectations. This is because the things we usually produce and create are for people who want to make an impression, to give a valuable gift to someone.

 

This is where the responsibility lies for our work to be at a high enough level to keep the customer satisfied. And usually, this is a significant challenge because we try to extract as much information as possible, to know exactly what people want, what they like - and to present it in the best possible way.

 

 

• What is the strangest item you have crafted, or the most interesting and unique order you have received?

 

Outside our product range, we've had many unique orders, each one practically different every time. We've crafted awards for major events, worked for the film industry, theater, opera, and various things that don't fit into our regular assortment but are no less luxurious and convey the messages we seek all the time.

 

However, I couldn't pinpoint a specific order and say it's the strangest. Rather, each time is something new, and that delights us - it's how we evolve.

 

 

• Any productions or sets for which you've created film or stage props?

 

We worked on the film "Hitman." We've done set designs for the opera ("Cinderella"), in theater ("Astapovo Station" and "Moon Over the Village" by the late Daniela Oleg Lyahova, "Life in Three" and others). For commercials, we've crafted some non-traditional items as well, such as perforated silver trays.

 

 

 

• They say, "art is thinking in the material." What significance does the material have for you as creators, is there any specific emotion?

 

There is always emotion. The material is of immense importance because when designing new models or fulfilling non-standard orders, we always start with the material, always think through the material. We are well acquainted with the material we work with, its possibilities, and its limitations. Usually, when we want to create something unique, something non-standard, we first consider its possibilities and then think about how to enhance them, in what way. So, the material is very important to us.

The emotion is significant, especially when working with expensive exotic woods. It's a challenge, for example, when crafting silverware. This is an ancient craft that is fading away in Bulgaria, especially silver craftsmanship - and to our great joy, we are very skilled at it. It is extremely difficult to craft a silver cup; as a technology, it is a process that requires a lot of experience, long-term experience. And that is exactly what we do well.

 

 

 

 

Silver children's cup from 'Zografov and Son"

 

 

So, every time is truly an emotion, even more so if we have an urgent order. It has happened to us to have to craft five silver cups with inlaid letters within 72 hours - not engraved, but inlaid. And that is truly a significant challenge because we have to invest a lot and deliver the same quality that we generally strive to provide - despite the short deadline.

 

 

• What exactly does "изтеглянето" (drawing) represent as a technique?

 

Most people are familiar with shaping clay on a potter's wheel. The principle is similar - from discs, sheet material onto a steel matrix using a tool similar to a steel thumb, the sheet metal wraps around the mold and actually takes its shape. But the nuances along the way are many...

 

 

• If you had to create a symbol for Bulgaria, for example, for the Bulgarian presidency of the EU, what would you suggest?

 

We have very strong symbols, and it's difficult to settle on one, especially for a specific event. Honestly, as a Bulgarian, I would like the symbol to give us Bulgarians confidence and self-assurance. The lion is a beautiful symbol; even Paisius of Hilendar wrote about it, the incredible feats of the Bulgarians at that time and their lion-like strength.

 

 

• How does the introduction of new technologies relate to working with classic materials like stone, noble metals, and wood? Are there generational differences in the approach of the craftsmen?

 

Yes, definitely. This is precisely what we value most in our company. On the one hand, we strive to preserve authenticity, to use crafts as they have been, and at the same time, we actively follow trends and the development of new technologies because, in many cases, they help us improve the quality of craftsmanship and, at times, even increase the pace of work.

Sometimes they also open up new horizons, helping us come up with an entirely new model that a few years ago would not have been possible to create.

 

 

• Describe briefly some of your most attractive products: creased cups (2000), wooden cups (2012), silver vessels (2013).

 

Creased cups are one of the first types of models in the family company, designed by my father. From the very beginning, at least as far as I know the story, he was impressed by the legends told about the Holy Grail - and for him, it was somewhat an embodiment of the Grail. So, he made it the way he saw it.

Interestingly, maybe 20 years later, someone approached us from a film production wanting us to design the Holy Grail for them. We didn't design it - we already had it. They saw it, liked it, were very impressed with it - and simply asked us to make it larger so that it would be more visible on screen.

 

 

 

"Silver wine goblet from 'Zografov and Son.'"

 

 

 

• Have you worked on any other public art projects besides the Monument of Peace?

 

I worked on projects independently as a second-year student. I have also participated independently as an artist in exhibitions and competitions, such as the one for Andersen's 200th anniversary. As a company, we have presented ourselves at exhibitions in the country and abroad: "Lux Only," Regalo, Vinaria, Impression, HOMI/Argento in Milan.

 

 

• Among your clients have been institutions such as the presidential administration, the Council of Ministers, the ministries of finance, interior, and defence, the National Assembly, the Bulgarian Air Force, the Sofia Opera and Ballet, the European Commission, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and the Archaeological Museum, the National Historical Museum (NHM). Do you feel a difference in approach or requirements between Bulgarian and foreign clients?

 

 

There is a difference, but not between Bulgarians and foreigners. Each of our clients has developed their individuality extremely strongly. Since we are talking about wealthy and successful individuals who have already proven themselves, they carry an incredible sense of identity with them - and we cannot attribute it to a specific country, continent, or ethnicity. Definitely, each of them is different, and we strive to meet their specific desires.

 

 

• Which of your works would you like archaeologists to discover in the distant future?

 

In our range, we have quite a few replicas of ancient vessels, but I hope they discover a personal item of ours, designed according to our taste, embodying us as individuals. If this happens, it would be irrelevant which specific item it is. That's the goal - to leave a trace.

 

 

"Gold wreath from 'Zografov and Son.'"

 

 

• Do you have an emotional connection with a specific item?

 

Most items carry various stories within them because, in the course of our work, we go through many things - and each time we go through a process, we leave a mark. This mark is a new model that carries the good and bad stories from that moment, the fact that we struggled to create something specific.

 

An example is the wooden cups, when a close person asked us to make a gift for another close person but said, "It has to be super unique, something you haven't done before," since he had already given our items as gifts. He loves whiskey, expensive, branded whiskey - and we had to come up with something on that theme.

 

We quickly came up with the idea of making a wooden whiskey cup, which was absolutely non-standard at that time. It turned out to be a fantastic product with a range of qualities: it is heat-resistant, meaning you can pour a cold drink, and your hands won't get cold; it will last a long time, and the gold and silver add an extra touch to the quality of the drink, and it looks very good as well.

 

 

 

 

• Do you have any interesting or funny stories from your work?

 

Interesting story? For example, the Monument of Peace - it is placed in the Seagull Garden, and it is actually a dove of peace. In 2003, after it was installed, it had to be officially unveiled. The then British Ambassador, Richard Stagg, attended the event.

 

The funny and amusing part of this story was that they covered the entire monument with fabric. Even then, I warned them that this fabric would be impossible to remove from the 350 Kalashnikov rifles protruding in all directions, but they didn't listen to me. When they had to remove the fabric during the unveiling, it didn't work. Then the British Ambassador appeared, and with his long umbrella, he helped to detach the fabric... It turned into a reference to the Bulgarian umbrella and England, and it was featured for a long time on "Gospodari na Efira" as a blooper.

 

And Bill Clinton doesn't listen to what they tell him during the award ceremony; he doesn't look at the audience, just grabs the golden sculpture and starts admiring it with an open mouth, without hearing anything around him. We felt flattered that we made an impression on the American president, who has seen so much.

 

Curiously, President Putin owns the same item from ours, the golden chalice, twice - during two visits, he accidentally receives the same gift.

 

 

 

 

"The first replica of an item from an ancient treasure is the 'kylix,' crafted by 'Zografov and Son' in 2006, initiated by the archaeologist Georgi Kitov.

 

 

 

 

Interview for Bulevard.bg

Editor Neli Dimitrova

March 30, 2017, 15:32"