Aaron Roth & Dimitar Genchev – Who’s afraid of painting – Artist talk

Who’s afraid of painting?
A conversation with Aaron Roth and Dimitar Genchev
Moderator: Vesselina Sarieva

31 March 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm.
Artnewscafe, Plovdiv

Sarieva / Gallery is pleased to invite the public to join a conversation about contemporary painting with two artists whose works it has presented in exhibitions many times – Aaron Roth and Dimitar Genchev.

Aaron was born in Los Angeles (1998) and received his education at the Slade School of Fine Art, London. Dimitar is originally from Plovdiv (1985) and after graduating from the National Academy of Arts in Sofia, he graduated from the Utrecht School of Art (HKU) and Rijksakademie, Amsterdam. Although with different biographies and artistic pursuits, the Bulgarian and the American are united by their painting and life in Plovdiv. They use classical techniques to represent two very different aesthetics. Dimitar creates delicate and fragile visuals which bring plasticity to rough urban elements. At the same time, Aaron paints the symbols of nouveau riche luxury almost naturalistically, finding something primal in the standards of the chalga-elite.

Sarieva Gallery invites the audience to an open conversation with the artists, who will discuss the status of painting and the painter today. The young painters will talk about the development of the dynamic contemporary art scene in Bulgaria, the way trends affect it and what they are at this stage. The role of educational institutions in relation to contemporary art will also be discussed, from the point of view of two artists educated at Bulgarian and foreign art universities.

Last but not least, Aaron and Dimitar will examine the combination between painting and shame – the artist’s shame, its natural manifestations and its creeping into the work. Is there shame in being a painter, how does it arise and who’s afraid of painting?

The conversation unfolds in the context of Aaron Roth’s solo exhibition “Бейж” at Sarieva / Gallery.