13/07/2026
Meet the Honourable International Jury of the 41 FISAE Competition!
Valeri Chakalov, Bulgaria
This month, the Honourable International Jury of the 41st FISAE Competition will gather in Varna, Bulgaria, to review more than 780 submitted artworks by over 300 artists from 35+ countries, carefully evaluate each entry, and select the winning works.
We are honoured to welcome such an accomplished panel of artists and professionals, whose expertise and dedication ensure a fair and inspiring competition.
Valeri Chakalov is a Bulgarian artist, printmaker, painter, educator, and curator. Born in 1957 in Devnya, Bulgaria, he graduated in Printmaking from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia in 1984, where he studied under Prof. Georgi Simeonov. A member of the Union of Bulgarian Artists since 1989, Chakalov has held the academic title of Professor since 2008 and teaches at the Department of Visual Arts at Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen.
Working in the fields of printmaking, painting, and experimental art, Chakalov has presented more than 30 solo exhibitions and participated in over 200 national and international exhibitions, print biennials, and art projects. His work has been exhibited at venues including the CODA Museum in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands; The EFA Center for Contemporary Art in New York, USA; the Global Print Project in Douro, Portugal; the Beijing International Art Biennale, China; Deyton/Nright Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; Maison Gilbert Gallery in Lézignan-Corbières, France; the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland; and Gallery Giyzanroo, the Netherlands.
Chakalov is the recipient of numerous national and international awards, including the Printmaking Prize at the Spring Salon in Lyon, France; the Small-Format Printmaking Award in Toronto, Canada; a residency grant at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, France; the Varna Award for Contribution to Culture and the Arts; the Union of Bulgarian Artists Award for Painting; the Printmaking Award at the 5th International Print Triennial in Sofia; the Grand Prize “Golden Pegasus” at Southern Spring, Bulgaria; and the Veliko Tarnovo Diploma for contributions to Bulgarian culture, art education, and creative achievement.
Academic and Professional Appointments
• 2001–2008 – Associate Professor of Printmaking and Fine Arts at Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Bulgaria.
• 2008–Present – Professor of Printmaking and Fine Arts at Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen, Bulgaria.
• 2002–2005 – Head of the Department of Art Education, Faculty of Education, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen.
• 2017–2021 – Head of the Department of Visual Arts, Theory and Methodology, Faculty of Education, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen.
• 2021–2023 – Head of the Department of Technological Education, Entrepreneurship and Visual Arts, Faculty of Education, Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen.
• 2016–Present – Chair of the Ethics Committee and Coordinator of Artistic, Exhibition, and Festival Activities at Konstantin Preslavsky University of Shumen.
Education and International Programs
• 1978–1984 – Studied Printmaking at the National Academy of Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria.
• 1983 – Academic training at the Russian Academy of Arts, Moscow, and the Ilya Repin Academy of Arts, Saint Petersburg.
• 2007 – Artist residency at Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France.
• 2010 – Participant in the European-funded project LEADER – Reg'Arts Croisés au Pays de Thann, Thann, France.
• 2012 – Participant in the European workshop Art & Fact, Willer-sur-Thur, France.
Research Interests
Visual arts, art theory, educational initiatives, higher arts education, exhibition curation, and art festival organization.
41 FISAE congress | Varna, Bulgaria | 1-6 September 2026
www.jordanpetkov.foundation | [email protected] @последователи
