Zekoff

Born in Bulgaria in 1964, Ognian Zekoff acquired his MFA at the National Art Academy in Sofia before moving to Montreal, Quebec, where he currently resides. Zekoff has carried on a strong tradition of European methods, such as charcoal drawing, oil painting on canvas and the use of light and dark. 

For Zekoff, the hands are one of the most expressive parts of the human body. Zekoff has mastered the ability to capture the mood of his subject by simply portraying the hands. Their imaginative positions have an incredible emotive power and can conjure a range of emotions such as anxiety, concern, protection and love. There is a sense of innocence and longing in these lifelike representations of bare flesh. Zekoff's figures are typically depicted in a peaceful and vulnerable state, lying somewhere in the realm between dreaming and wakefulness.

Zekoff's hyper-realistic technique adds such a tangible quality to the viewing experience that one can almost feel the surface texture of the subject. Zekoff creates a new reality through his images that generates a feeling of crossing the boundaries between space and time. The order and repetition of forms in his compositions reflects a harmonious equilibrium.