Exploring Art and Life in Altea, Spain | An Intimate Interview with Vasil Vasilev-Zoueka

Hello everyone, today is the 27th of August 2024. I am on my way to Altea, Spain, for a very special occasion. 

I'm going to meet a famous Bulgarian artist and actor who has been living in Spain for 3 years, since May 2021. It is a 5 hour drive from Benalmadena on the Costa del Sol. 

The distance is about 550 KM. The route goes through Málaga, Granada, Baza, Lorca, Murcia, Alicante and Benidorm. I finally arrived in Altea at around 10.30am.

Altea, Spain – a picturesque coastal town located on Spain's Costa Blanca, known for its whitewashed houses, narrow cobblestone streets, and stunning views of the Mediterranean. 

This charming town, protected by the Serra de Bèrnia, has become a new home for many expatriates, including the renowned Bulgarian actor and artist, Vasil Vasilev-Zoueka.

In this exclusive interview, we dive into the life of Zoueka, exploring his journey to Spain, his passion for art, and the unique experiences that have shaped his creative path over the past three years. 

We will be talking about Spanish art, modern artists and some of the best museums in Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and the rest of Spain.

Izi : Hi friends, my name is Izi and today we are in Altea, Spain. Is that right?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, yes!

Izi : Not far from Alicante and Benidorm, Spain. Where I would like to introduce you to an amazing person and artist, who has moved to Spain to create art here. It's my pleasure to meet you!

A famous Bulgarian actor, artist, and painter. Taurus, just like me. Born on 30 April, 59 years ago. Graduated from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts Krastyo Sarafov in 1992.

Izi : Could you please tell us what has surprised you here in Spain and what you like best?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Spain is wonderful. Before we came to Spain, my nephews have been living here for more than 25 years. I mean, if they are not Spanish, at least their children are. 

So I'm very connected to Spain. We used to come here on holiday a couple of times in the summer before COVID. And we loved it. 

Talking to my nephew, it turned out that one day, when we decide, we could move here. The COVID came and we made the decision very quickly.

What I like in Spain... I like the people. Just calm! They are very calm people! Very... How to say it, people who know that life is about living it, life is for enjoying it! 

With all its difficulties and challenges, vicissitudes, and so forth. But life here is about enjoying five meals a day. That was the thing that amazed me the most. They eat here. That makes an impression.

I like their attitude towards strangers. They are open people. They are not small-minded.

Izi : And temperament?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Temperament, yes, of course. So far I cannot stand living in a big building because they are very loud. I thought our species was the noisiest on the planet. That's not true. They shout at each other, they do not talk to each other. But I like that too.

I like the fact that for some reason they are responsible towards life, but at the same time they are irresponsible towards that same life. 

They are responsible towards "If there are rules, we have to follow them." With minor exceptions, there are always some exceptions, in every country.

Another thing is that "we don't follow the rules", for example, if it's allowed to have a glass of wine and drive, they don't really drink only one glass of wine. I mean, if they can, they will ignore some rules. 

They are party people. They want to discover the world, they are curious, that's really good.

Izi : You have exhibitions here in the local galleries like Albir and Altaia. How do you manage to get the whole organization right, when we think about it, they're always saying "mañana, mañana" (tomorrow in Spanish)?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Oh, no, no. Not everyone here in Spain is "mañana, mañana". Definitely not. When it comes to deadlines, they really work to get things done on time.

It's another matter how long it takes them to respond, for example by email. But when it comes to deadlines, they all try to get everything done on time. 

When it's fixed, it's fixed. For example, now I booked a gallery on Palma de Mallorca for the next year in October. And it doesn't mean... when it's booked, nobody knows when they'll get back to me. But yes, it's already booked, and I have received confirmation from them.

These things don't have anything in common. They are serious. If you want to work with them, you can work with them very seriously.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Not by chance: look, Spain has 47 million inhabitants. When a country is this big and populated, this country has "from - to". Differences and amplitudes...

If we speak about 2% of the most intelligent people situated in Bulgaria, here the people as a number are far more. If we talk about 20% in Bulgaria, that would eventually support democratic changes, here 20% of the people is much more. There is a difference. There is a difference in education, I like the Spanish education system a lot. I have a 10-year-old son from there, I know.

He's been here for three years and is about to start fourth grade. I like their attitude towards children and adults, it comes from the Spanish people. It doesn't matter which city we're talking about. It's everywhere in Spain. That means mentality, that means they were well brought up as children when they were young. That's why I like Spain.

Izi : The care given to the children in the schools and kindergartens is truly amazing. But mentioning your son, I wanted to ask you, is he following in his father's footsteps? Is he trying?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, not at all. I think he's up to the exact sciences. He is an encyclopaedist. There's no encyclopaedia he hasn't read in Bulgarian, Valenciano, Spanish, and English. And he knows a lot. There is no capital he doesn't know about. I am talking about the whole world. 

I don't even know that there are such countries, and he knows the capital. I don't know. My aim is to educate him. From there on, I don't know what he's become as an adult, it's his problem. It was the same with my daughter. My daughter is 25 years old. She has chosen to work in the cinema arts.

Let's see, she's successful and I'm very happy for her, really! She made a nice short film and now she is making another one with children. It's very difficult to make films with children and she did it. Even though it's underwater rocks when you're shooting with kids, I'm very happy for her.

So, I don't know what will happen with Stefan. He does not want to paint, definitely. He has no..., nothing, towards acting, I can't really understand him... When I was his age, I knew I was going to be an actor. I was very aware of it in third grade. And everywhere I went I said I'm going to be an artist. So, no...most probably no, no idea.

Our goal is to support him. Everyone is born with what they can do, I am sure, and then they just improve and add to it. Everyone's different, everyone comes complete with their DNA. And today's generations are very fast. It's very difficult to give them a sense of direction. When I see how educated he is in the visual and digital arts, I can't compare it to my childhood.

For the simple reason that our generation had ordinary dial phones with cable, I mean, the only electronic devices were magnetophones and radios. First black and white televisions and much later color televisions. What are we talking about? A lot of time has passed since then... And that's progress.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka): What we've already talked about with you and Ani, I expect that in 5 years we'll see AI in all devices for control, for processing information, because it's much easier to write software that's controlled by artificial intelligence than it is to write software that has to communicate, control, etc. 

The AI will allow us to have fewer devices. And to get into a form where it doesn't matter, you put it in your eyes, in your ears, in your body.

Izi : Chips?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Chips, yes, everything, chips have been around for a long time. Those who want it have it in their bodies. I have seen, I know a guy who has a bank account under his skin in the form of a chip, and that is how he pays.

Izi : I saw on Instagram that you wrote "NO NFTs!". Why is that?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, because there are a lot of scams out there. Those who want to buy the rights to my paintings don't want to buy my paintings. They just buy the rights to give them. 

Or pretend to give them the rights, I will explain in a second. And then they start printing these digital things (NFTs) and selling them. They're selling them for pennies on the dollar. For example, there is a market of 100,000, and if he reaches that number, he can get some money out of it. That's why they offer me a specific amount of money. And I'm not really interested in that.

Firstly, because a lot of them are just scammers asking for your bank account, pretending to pay you, and then trying to hack it. That's why we wrote "NO NFTs". And you will understand that they are scammers when you check their accounts more closely. And to be honest, I'm not interested. For the printing itself, I have friends in Bulgaria. If I look around, I'm sure I'll find some. There are companies doing prints on canvas.

With its specific volume, with the specific color and canvas, it's not like before, just an image, we're not talking about a simple image, there are prints with colors, even oil colors. However, I can do that with my paintings, but I don't think it's worth it. I think the paintings should remain...

Izi : Authentic?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, authentic, painted once in a lifetime. Even if I try to repaint some of my paintings, it's not the same. The idea is the same, but the painting is completely different. I once had a painting called "Kite" (or "Dragon"). People liked it so much that I made five copies of it. I call them copies, but they are not. They are independent paintings.

One of the copies was 130 centimeters by, by... I don't know, it was really huge. The guy just wanted that size. By the way, I really like painting on large canvases. But that is another story. I mean, very few people like to buy such huge canvas. And It was a pleasure for me to paint it.

But regarding the NFTs, first of all, I don't trust them. And I don't think it's my thing, it's not my personality.

Izi : And how do people find you, directly on the phone, through the website?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : It depends, through the website, through social media, through my exhibitions, through friends. I am easy to find.

Izi : Do you always attend your exhibitions?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, not always. It really depends where it is. I cannot afford it. It depends on the cost. For example, I'm going to Vienna. 

Opening of an exhibition with Val Vecherka, who lives and works in Vienna. 

She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts there. Together we are going to do an exhibition at "Haus Wittgenstein", which is the Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Austria. It's going to be very interesting because it's very different. I really like her stuff. I was introduced to her by chance.

But we have never met live before, so it will be also a challenge. It was planned to take the whole family to this exhibition, but we had a lot of expenses, so we cannot afford it at the moment. It's like that in our business.

I will have an exhibition in Germany, but I can't go there. I will send only the paintings.

Izi : In which city?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : I have to check again. Don't ask me, it's not a big city. Something like "Rotten", kind of a "Batt"...

Izi : Rottenburg perhaps?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, something with "Batt-Matt", "Rotten" with something behind it. I don't remember it exactly... Then in another German town near the Czech border, but that's in June. Again, don't ask me, I don't remember.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : I have an invitation from the Bulgarian Institute in Rome. They have an amazing gallery. I gladly accepted the invitation. We have not yet spoken, we will discuss the details and conditions around the New Year. 

So I am very curious about it, curious to present some of my paintings there. And maybe we'll manage to get there in Rome. I mean, there are places we want to go and we can go.

In Chicago, we managed to combine the opening of the exhibition with the spectacles of Vladi Aprilov and myself and our spectacles. In fact, first we opened the exhibition with Vladi and just continued with the spectacle.

Izi : In the Magura Gallery?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, it's actually a Bulgarian cultural center. Not just a gallery. They're working wonders there. These are amazing boys and girls who are doing amazing things, so hats off to them for what they are doing! They are not receiving a penny from Bulgaria. Not even one. An entirely private organization that relies on the Bulgarians who live there and the Americans who find them sympathetic.

They are independent, most of their initiatives are voluntary, to save the Bulgarian culture, to present the Bulgarian culture to the Bulgarians living there, who are not few, I don't know how many, maybe about 100 thousand Bulgarians. It was a pleasure for me to be there.

Izi : You mentioned Mallorca. Can you manage to go there and take part in your exhibition?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Oh yes! I'm going to Palma. Yes, for sure. Firstly, because it is a very interesting place. This is a hotel, when you look at it from the outside you say oh Myron (the painter) trained on this hotel, maybe someone painted Myron's paintings all over the hotel from the outside. It's impossible for a man not to notice the hotel from miles (kilometers) away.

The owners of the hotel, a gentleman and a lady, especially the lady, she is art-oriented, she loves art. She's always organizing some kind of cultural initiative, whether it's a dance, a culinary event, or an exhibition. The hotel has two exhibition halls. One of them has an interactive floor, a huge one!

Izi : When you step on it?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, not just when you step on it. It can also work when you step on it! When you look at the exhibition, you can see paintings that aren't actually in front of you and form a general idea of the artist you're looking at. It made an amazing impression on me and I told Galia, the girl who helps me in Mallorca, that she's very good at what she does, our girl there. I just told her that this is our place in Palma de Mallorca.

So we prepared, as usual, there is a rent like everywhere in the world and we prepared because I just wanted to catch the good period everywhere it was already booked until October next year. So I wish myself good health and in a year's time I'll have an exhibition in Mallorca.

Izi : Which month? Do we already know the month?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, of course, we've already paid for the second half of October, from the 17th to the 31st. We know everything.

Izi : You've already mentioned Galia, Chicago, and the Bulgarian community there. Do you find it easy to make friends and communicate with other artists in Altea, in the area here, in Alicante? Or are your relationships more international?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : My communication is mainly through social media and the internet.

And the website, it's, yeah, more international. It's a very international situation. 

But here, yes, of course, here we know people in the area. But there are very few who are involved in art. Because they are also expatriates here, and we have very little communication with them.

They are rather closed people, Nordic people. It's hard to get a few words out of them. We don't have a problem with that, I mean...

We meet a lot of people at our exhibitions and we stay in touch. We have a very close circle here at the Altaia Gallery in Altea, owned by a lady, her name is Conca. 

She has made a circle of friends and painters here. People who paint. She's always organizing exhibitions. 

We sell here, but not too much. It's a very specific place. I like it a lot. Because it brings people together to talk, to communicate, to exchange information. And they have fun, and they get the meaningful things out of what they're doing.

Izi : How did your journey with art begin?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : I've been painting since I was a child, but not professionally, I mean...

Izi : Maybe someone in your family...

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : My father painted, but he didn't get much done. I've always painted, but I used to paint and give my paintings away to friends for birthdays and other occasions. But these are just different things. During the COVID...

Izi : You had to "switch", so to speak?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, we had already decided to come here before COVID. 

Izi :You have a phrase in the film "In Circle" where you play the role of a policeman. I think your character's name was Thodor, and you say to your colleague: "What the hell are you doing here in Bulgaria?"

When was the film shot? In 2018 or 2017, maybe later.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : I don't remember as well...

Izi : Did you have the idea of emigrating a long time ago?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, not really at the beginning of the crisis. When the crisis seemed to have started. Actually, the economic crisis started first and then it turned into a COVID crisis. So that changed the relationship between companies and workers. And from there, a lot of things changed for me in Bulgaria.

Izi : You were working on the TV show "Lords of the Air" at the time, weren't you?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, at the moment I'm with the whole company. We were doing a lot of things. They stopped the TV show ("Lords of the Air") about seven years ago. At that time we were doing the TV show "Your Face Sounds Familiar" and about the masks, what was the name exactly?

Izi : You mean "The masked singer" TV show.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, "The masked singer". At that time, the volumes went down, and if you have credit... who doesn't have credit, even the millionaires... 

We are all in the same boat. So I had to do something and I talked to a friend of mine, she has a gallery, she said to me "let's see, let's do some paintings, let's do an exhibition, if we do well we'll see how we can continue".

At that time I had to do a lot of paintings, it was a lot for me at that time. I had to do 25 paintings in two months.

So I ended up doing 40 paintings in 25 days. Moreover, I also painted a size I had never painted before, 50x50 cm and bigger. It was something new, surprising, with new colors... 

I made them with a lot of paint, I didn't know what acrylic paint was... I knew it worked with water, but...

Izi : And now you only paint with acrylics?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, I only paint with acrylics and they dry very quickly, which is perfect for my work. When you paint with oils, you have to wait days. Sometimes weeks. It depends on the layers. By the way, I have been painting with oils all my life.

Until I understood what was happening with the paint, I actually started working in the same way as with oil paint until I understood the colors and how they worked. But the acrylics didn't allow me to continue in the same way.

And in the second year, I started to understand the principle, but because I'm famous, the business continued.

Izi : But look at Facebook and Instagram, you have a lot of followers!

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, but, because I'm famous for other things and it was very interesting for people to have something of mine, that was at the beginning. After that, everyone liked the ideas I shared through my canvas, and that was actually my task. To always say the things I'm in this world for.

Izi : You mean things you could never say on TV?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, no, I always had the opportunity to say what I wanted to say. I was always doing it. 

The thing is, I'm that kind of person, when I start something, I'm 100% into it and I'm focused. And again... Whether I'm in the scene or on the canvas, it doesn't really matter to me, really...

When it comes to an idea or a theme, what and how I want to say something doesn't really matter. And you're learning.

Izi: Okay, but how do you see the difference between theatre, the cinema? These arts are based on a scenario, repetitions, training, how do you proceed with the art of painting?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : It's the same. Before I start painting, I try to come up with some ideas. I try to define what I want to paint, what I want to say. Then I start thinking about where to put things. It's all about composition. Once I have the composition clear in my head, because it's a thinking process from the head, there are no sketches...

Then I start with the colors, with a range of colors. What, why, and so on... I rarely do sketches. Only when the faces need to be more expressive. Because I never learned how to paint. And my basics are really bad... But the more you paint, the more you learn, of course. 

And colleagues who've been painting for years, people who graduate from art schools say, "You've done a lot in three years!". "No one has done as much as you have", not just at the university in general.

Because I'm old. I'm an experienced person, that's what I want to say, and I try not to waste my time. If I want to try something, I'll just start trying it. With acrylics it's easy, if I don't like something I just rearrange it and cover it up.

When you get to that age - I'm 59 now - it's easy to remove the bad things, but it's also very easy to see the good things. So I rely on my own criteria. My own criteria.

Izi : So you already know what you want and how you want it?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Oh, No, I have always known what I wanted. I had some problems in the first few years after graduating from the art academy, but then I was sitting on a stable foundation, and everything's clear to me when I look at it.

Izi : Wasn't that the time of the TV shows "KUKU" and "The Channel" or earlier?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Throughout the period of television known to the public, I was also doing films. But my most important work was in the theatre. Together with Nina Dimitrova, I co-founded our private theatre Credo. 

With this theatre we were able to travel around the world because we had two performances. So we jumped from festival to festival. 

There were years when we spent more time working abroad than in Bulgaria. That is how much we have played around the world. And the third is the "Diary Of A Mad Man". 

We were already separated, but I worked on it until recently. It was a lot of work on this spectacle.

Now, of course, another boy is playing the part. But why am I telling you all this? Because theatre was what shaped my view of the world, and my experience of art in general came from there. From there, if we have a problem in the scene, how do we solve it?

If there is a character, you have to express how that character can be real, surprise and make people feel at the same time. 

Not to think, to feel. That's more important. Everyone can think. To make them think is easy. I mean, I can make six of these paintings a day. Hata-hata, and everyone will be thinking about it, I can assure you. "What he wanted to say"... nothing, guys, just scratches.

Most people are like that, working on intuition, I can't do this. I've tried a few times, but I can't do it anymore. I don't like it. There was a lot of redlining, just scratching and scratching. A-a-a-a-a-a-a!!!

Izi : According to Wikipedia, you've won more than 16 different international awards. But one of the most important awards is the Icarus Award for your participation in popularizing Bulgarian art in the world.

Izi : Is the Icarus award for the performance at the Credo Private Theatre?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, that's right! But that's not the most important award I've received. But when you say 16, I'm not really sure how many awards we have, but one of the most important awards is from the Edinburgh Festival, where with more than 1,500 participants and over 2,000 performances, we were in the top 10.

For two years in a row. And that's one of our biggest accolades. Another award... I can't really remember. The award is recognition for doing this particular job the right way. It's not a bad thing, but I don't insist on it. The reward for me is really when you meet the people.

I'll give you an example from recent years: When someone buys a painting from me and then starts sending me pictures of where they have put their painting or paintings. How it is arranged, and when I see how their house is decorated, I immediately understand why they like my painting.

It's all about how you feel about the world. My own sense of the world is very specific. I have a sense of humor, I'd say, but it's very deep. 

You'll never see a superficial painting of mine, saying everyday things in my art.

I just don't like to talk about everyday things. I'm looking for the deep things. To touch the soul.

I'm looking for the fundamental things.

Izi : Do you like self-irony?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Oooh, without self-irony, where are you going? Otherwise, we fly too high... I cannot do without humor.

Izi : Looking at your paintings on Instagram and Facebook, I noticed that for a while you were painting clowns and artists, but then you moved on to sea themes. For example, "Sea of Love". Do you often go to the sea? It is maybe 5 minutes from here.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, exactly, maybe even 3 minutes. No, not really. I don't like the beach. But I really like the sea. I go there in the morning when I drop my son off at school. And I'm doing a sporty walk about 40 minutes for health. And I do it around the sea. I like that.

How I choose my themes, I can't paint landscapes, seascapes or cityscapes, it's just not me. For me, if there are no people, it's a kind of background for me, it's just a little landscape, nothing, if there are no people in the painting.

Why do I think that way? I think that paintings are for people. And people want to look at people, people should look at people. People should talk to people. People should communicate with people. I just want to express my feelings about these questions.

The topics are my choice, but there are no limits. They are human themes, the theme of love, the theme of betrayal, the theme of friendship. The theme of the power of human spirituality. The theme of the freedom of human spirituality.

The immortality theme of what we will leave behind us, after we leave this world, because I and everyone will pass away. And a lot of similar themes where it really doesn't matter where you live or where you come from if you have the right character, people all over the world will understand you.

Izi : In an interview on BTV, you said that you refused to paint a landscape for a friend. She wanted an autumn landscape.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, to Sofia, she said to me: "Paint me a landscape!"

How a landscape?! I can't do that!

I mean, I can do it, but I have to have something else in my head, but I've done it, I've done it! I dealt with it. In relation to that, I forgot this story, she is a very close friend of mine.

"I just want a landscape". What kind of landscape? "Like this: Autumn, golden leaves, golden trees...", I said "why is that?!"

I cannot paint such things. Do not provoke me!

Well, I mean, people are what they are, they're different and that's the most beautiful thing. I mean, they're all different levels of development.

One has reached a higher level because he's graduated from two universities, another has worked in different places with different experiences and is at level 3.

There are also people who are stuck all their lives and they get paintings on loan. Because they cannot afford to buy a painting with a single payment.

Izi : Art on credit!

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Or paying off art, which is different!

But they are some of my favorite people because they saw something in my paintings that belonged to them. For people it's very strange, for me it's not, the initial meaning that I put in it, they see their own interpretation of things.

Because if I have done it well, everyone will be able to see that idea and that theme, but interpreted from their own life. There is nothing better for me. I scream with happiness. When someone analyzes my art from their point of view, I'm the happiest man in the world.

Izi : That's the A grade for the artist, isn't it?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes.

Because, most people surprise me. How can you see that in my painting? But that's the top. Human imagination, it's so big! I admire people like that!

Izi : It's interesting when people discover something outside of what you originally thought.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yeah, most of the times it's like that. It's interesting, very interesting. That's normal when you're working with general themes. By general themes I mean broad themes.

It's normal for everyone to see the same situation but from a different perspective. That's normal for me. It was the same in the theatre.

We create a character and the audience does not cry because they empathize with us. They empathize with themselves. Because it appears deep inside...

Izi : Art brings back memories...

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Not only that, but art makes you feel.

And if art makes you feel, then it's good. And it doesn't matter if you can paint, if you can be an actor or make a film, it doesn't matter. If you have made the person in front of you feel, it doesn't matter what, it may be anger, it's a feeling.

Izi : Then you have achieved your goal.

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, there are films that I really don't like, but they take a lot of feelings out of my soul.

Such feelings that I really don't like, that I rarely show, like anger, ehh, yes, it's not my taste. I can't deny it, it's terrible, I can say that.

But I can't say to the artist: "You're a big s**t, you're not worth a penny!"

It's quite the opposite. You're very great when you achieve that.

Stephen King, he's not my writer. I tried to read his books. I read two of them, it's just not my thing...

Izi : What do you like to read most?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : I like fantasy best, if I have to be honest. And fantasy like, which one... "Discworld", and this is where it all ends.

I would say that my whole conscious life has gone through all the writings of Terry Pratchett, "Discworld".

He is gone, but he left a lot behind on this earth with his writing.

These are the things I really love. I don't like reading Dan Brown.

I've read all his books, but I read his books because he is a cinema guy.

He writes scenarios, not books, he writes in such a way that you don't want to leave the book. And what could be better than that?

Izi : When does your working day start?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : From the moment I wake up until I go to bed.

Izi : Is that how artists work?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, there is no other way. The other situation is with the exact dates. But you don't skip afternoon siestas.

Izi : But you don't skip afternoon siestas?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : I'm an old man, if I don't have my afternoon nap, I can't do it without!

Izi : Do you have a canvas ready at the moment?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No, I couldn't get it on yesterday.

Izi : Thank you very much, I will store it!

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Not all the pictures here are by me.

Izi : This is what Zouek's stairs look like!

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : "DON QUIXOTE - WHY?" - After smashing the mills and shouting, "What for, the end is coming?"

Izi : Are there paintings that are not for sale?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : No! There are paintings that are not mine here.

Izi : Which are painted by friends of yours?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, and here you can basically see the exhibition for Vienna.

Izi : Who are your favorite Spanish and Bulgarian painters?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : There are many. You cannot just say that Chagall is my favorite. Chagall is not the only one. There are many. There are many artists I like, who make me think, who make me feel.

Izi : So you like surrealism?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, I like surrealism the most. But I can't do realism, so mine isn't surrealism, mine is...mine, true, but... it's just mine.

Izi : Do you have time to visit Spain's museums?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : There is a Picasso museum in Barcelona and another in Malaga. We are just waiting for our son to be a bit bigger so that we can go together, because the younger generation should be educated.

Izi : Come and be our guest (Málaga)!

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Twice we wanted to go to the Prado, but twice we postponed it because he was too small, because this is the Prado, these are serious things!

Izi : The Prado is in Madrid, isn't it?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Yes, it is! So when he grows up, we will take him everywhere! I wish us good health!

Izi : Do you have a favorite gallery?

Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) : Favorite, no! I love Gogh in Amsterdam, I love RIJKS which is also in Amsterdam, Guggenheim in New York is incredible! What to say about the Prado...?

Prado is just...What should I say... Lots of museums to look at, to forget where you are. Not to mention the Italian city museums, where in Florence, for example, you walk in and there is no end. It just endless...

Wherever you can see something, look! It does not matter what the gallery is. Small or big, it does not matter at all. Because it will bring you happiness and joy!

The journey of Vasil Vasilev-Zoueka, from Bulgaria to Spain, is one of artistic exploration and profound self-expression. 

Through his art, he continues to explore the depths of human emotion and experience, connecting with people from all walks of life.

As he navigates the worlds of theatre, painting, and beyond, his work remains a testament to the power of creativity and the enduring human spirit.

As our interview draws to a close, the conversation with Vasil Vasilev-Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) has offered deep insights into the mind of an artist who is not only passionate about his craft but also deeply philosophical about life and art. 

His reflections on his journey, his work, and his love for art and life in Spain reveal a man who finds joy in both the creative process and the connections it fosters.

Unfortunately, we couldn't continue our pleasant conversation with Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka) about life in Spain and his art. I had to return to the Costa del Sol to get home on time.

If you want to know more about Vasil Vasilev (Zoueka), check out his Instagram and Facebook. You can also visit his website to explore his film roles.

For more interviews like this and insider information about Spain subscribe to our mailing list.

Thanks for reading and see you next time! Bye-Bye!

Watch the full interview on YouTube with premiere on 06 September 2024 at 7pm: https://youtu.be/iz5CePUJozs

• Vasil Vasilev, Zoueka

  • Website: www.zouek-art.com

  • Facebook: Vassil Vassilev Vassilev (Zouek)

  • Instagram: zouek_art

• Altaia Gallery, Altea

  • Facebook: Art Altaia

• Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna

  • YouTube: @hauswittgenstein8286

  • Website: www.haus-wittgenstein.at

• MAGURA Cultural Center (Bulgarian American Heritage Center & Library)

  • Website: magurabcs.com

• Bulgarian Cultural Institute in Rome

  • Website: www.ibcroma.it

• Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam

  • Website: vangoghmuseum.nl

  • YouTube: @VanGoghMuseum

• Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

  • YouTube: @RijksmuseumAmsterdam

  • Website: www.rijksmuseum.nl

• Guggenheim Museum, New York

  • Website:  www.guggenheim.org

  • YouTube:  @guggenheim

• Prado Museum, Madrid

  • Website: www.museodelprado.es

  • YouTube: @MuseoNacionaldelPrado

• Theatre Credo

  • Website: www.credotheatre.bg

  • Facebook: credotheatre

• Gallery Albir

  • Website: www.galleryalbir.com

  • Facebook: GalleryAlbir

  • Instagram: galleryalbir

• Theatre199

  • YouTube: @Theatre199

  • Website: theatre199.org

• Zhana Karaivanova

  • Facebook: Jana Karaivanova

• Vladi Aprilov

  • Instagram: vladiaprilov

  • Facebook: Vladi Aprilov 

Join us on September 26, 2024, at 6 PM, when two talented artists, Val Vecherka and Vasil Vassilev-Zoueka , will present their works at Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna .

This event is an open invitation to all art lovers to witness the magic of the brush in the hands of these remarkable artists. Don’t miss the opportunity to see how their unique styles bring the canvas to life.

We look forward to seeing you there! ❤️
🗓️ Date: September 26, 2024
🕕 Time: 6 PM
📍 Location: Haus Wittgenstein, Vienna