Sabbi Gavrailov is a self-taught artist from Bulgaria living and creating in the United Kingdom. He hails from the town of Brezovo, also the birthplace of two iconic Bulgarian artists: Zlatyu Boyadzhiev and Mincho Katsaroff.

Sabbi shares a familial connection with Zlatyu Boyadzhiev through his great-grandfather,  a close cousin of the renowned artist. This connection is reflected in the striking similarities between their landscape and portrait painting. In his early years, Sabbi honed his skills in the atelier of Geno Lazarov, a contemporary artist from the Plovdiv region.

In 1996, Sabbi graduated from the Vocational School of Architecture and Geodesy in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. He moved to the UK in 2003 and, two years later, earned a Professional Diploma in Digital Photography in London. His fascination with digital photography, particularly in travel and portraiture, has significantly influenced his artistic development. However, it was the emotional aftermath of losing his father that unleashed a creative outpouring, paving the way for him to pursue his dream of becoming an artist.

Sabbi is an active member of the Hertfordshire art community, regularly exhibiting at local galleries and events and participating in national and international art competitions. His portraits have twice won the “Visitors' Choice Award” at the Harpenden Art Club Annual Exhibitions in 2021 and 2022 as well as numerous other international recognitions for portraiture and figurative art.

In 2023, Sabbi debuted on the Bulgarian art scene with his themed solo exhibition, Roots, held at the prestigious Private Gallery and Art Museum Dimitar Georgiev in Plovdiv. The exhibition featured a collection of portraits, still-life works, and landscapes, highlighting his versatile talent. Later on the same year he was invited by the Mayor of Brezovo to show his exhibition Roots for a second time at the the town festival.

Sabbi primarily works with oils, using his sketches and photographs as a foundation for his art. He is often invited to art seminars , workshops and live demonstrations where he presents his unique painting style. His award-winning portraits, impressionist landscapes, and still-life pieces are highly sought after, with numerous commissions to his name.

His artworks are part of private collections across the globe, including the UK, Bulgaria, the Middle East, Brazil, Denmark, Cyprus, and others.

2024

• Portrait in Oils Demonstration -Harpenden Art Club, Nov
• Piano and Live - demonstration for a private community, Oct
• HAC Annual Exhibition-Harpenden, UK, Oct 
• Aldenham Art Festival, UK -September
• Visual Artist Asociation-Annual Open Competition
• Teravarna 8th Figurative International Juried Art Competition and Exhibition-LA, California 
• Seminar & Solo Exhibition-Portrait, Zlatyu Boidzhiev House- Brezovo, Bulgaria, April
• Teravarna 6th Still-Life International Juried Art Competition and Exhibition-LA, California
• Live demonstration and workshop, Zlatyu Boidzhiev House- Brezovo, Bulgaria, January

2023

• Teravarna 8th Portrait International Juried Art Competition and Exhibition-LA, California, Dec
• Teravarna 7th Figurative International Juried Art Competition and Exhibition-LA, California, Nov
• HAC Annual Exhibition-Harpenden, UK, Oct 
• Portrait in Oils-Guest speaker and Demonstration-Harpenden Art Club, Sept 
• Aldenham Art Festival, UK, Sept
• Roots Solo Exhibition -120th Anniversary Zlatyu Boidzhiev - Brezovo, Bulgaria, Sept
• Letchworth Open 2023, UK -August, Oct
• Art in the Nave, Hemel Hempstead, UK, Aug
• Teravarna 6th Figurative International Juried Art Competition and Exhibition -California, Aug
• Teravarna 7th Portrait International Juried Art Competition and Exhibition - LA, California, July
• Roots Solo Exhibition - Dimitar Georgiev Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, May
• R Young Gallery-Spring-Summer Exhibition, Wokingham, UK  

2022

• Guest Speaker and Demonstration Harpenden Art Club-Still -Life in Oils, Dec
• Dacorum Creatives Art Hub -Group exhibition-Portraiture, Nov
• Oct-HAC 63rd Annual Group Exhibition-Harpenden, UK - WINNER- Visitor's Choice of painting 
• HVAF Open Studios-Hemel Hempstead, UK, Sept 
• ALDENHAM ART FESTIVAL, UK, Sept
• July-HVAF Big Art Fair-Group Exhibition, Hitchin, UK 
• June-Anatomy of a portrait HMQEII-Featured exhibition (Dacorum Creatives Art Hub)
• Dacorum Creatives Art Hub -Group exhibition-Marine Art
• Dacorum Creatives Art Hub -Group exhibition-Portraits and Landscapes

2021

• HVAF Big Art Fair-Group Exhibition, Hitchin, UK
• HVAF Open Studios-Hemel Hempstead, UK
• Dacorum Creatives Autumn Exhibition-Hemel Hempstead, UK
• HAC 62nd Annual Group Exhibition-Harpenden, UK- WINNER- Visitor's Choice of painting
• Dacorum Creatives Art Hub Winter Exhibition, UK

2020

• HVAF Herts Visual Art Winter Showcase- Group online exhibition 
• The Beyonder-Picture of the Week online publication

SECOND PLACE 

HAC Annual Exhibition, Harpenden, UK, 2024

TALLENT PRIZE AWARD
Teravarna Fine Art Gallery  "6th Still-Life" International Juried Art Competition, 
LA, California, USA, 2024

TALLENT PRIZE AWARD
Teravarna Fine Art Gallery  "7th Figurative" International Juried Art Competition, 
LA, California, USA, 2023 

TALLENT PRIZE AWARD
Teravarna Fine Art Gallery  "8th Portrait" International Juried Art Competition, 
LA, California, USA, 2023 

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TALLENT PRIZE AWARD
Teravarna Fine Art Gallery  "6th Figurative" International Juried Art Competition,
LA, California, USA, 2023
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TALLENT PRIZE AWARD
Teravarna Fine Art Gallery  "7th Portrait" International Juried Art Competition, 
LA, California, USA, 2023

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WINNER-BEST IN SHOW

HAC 62nd Annual Group Exhibition, Harpenden, UK, 2021

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CATEGORY FINALIST
BUCKS Art competition, Stow and Waddesdon NT, UK, 2022
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WINNER-BEST IN SHOW
HAC 63rd Annual Group Exhibition, Harpenden, UK, 2022
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3RD PLACE
HAC 63rd Annual Group Exhibition, Harpenden, UK, 2022