Sabbi Gavrailov is a self-taught artist from Bulgaria who works and creates in the UK. He originates from the town of Brezovo, which is also the birthplace of two iconic Bulgarian artists: Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, who died in 1976 and Mincho Katsaroff, an artist celebrated in France but virtually unknown in his home country.

Sabbi relates to Zlatyu Boyadzhiev through his great-grandfather, Zlatyu’s close cousin. There are striking similarities found between the landscape and portrait painting styles of Sabbi Gavrailov and Zlatyu Boyadzhiev. In his early days, Sabbi also took lessons in the atelier of another contemporary artist from the Plovdiv region, Geno Lazarov.

Sabbi graduated from the Vocational School of Architecture and Geodesy in Plovdiv, Bulgaria in 1996. In 2003 he settles in the UK and two years later acquires a Professional Diploma in Digital Photography in London. A fascination with digital photography over the past decade has helped to encourage his love of travel photography and his favourite subject, Portraiture. Despite always wanting to become an artist one day, the opportunity had never really presented itself until the loss of his father when a creative 
outpouring of emotion unleashed his talent.

Sabbi actively participates in the local art communities in Hertfordshire and exhibits at local events, and galleries and takes part in national and international art competitions. His portraits have won the “Visitors Choice Award” at the Harpenden Art Club Annual exhibitions for two consecutive years, 2021/22.

In 2023 Sabbi makes his debut on the Bulgarian art scene with a themed solo exhibition called "Roots" at the prestigious Private Gallery and Art Museum Dimitar Georgiev in the town of Plovdiv, where he shows Portraits, Still-Life and Landscape art. 

Sabbi uses primarily his own sketches and photographs to create his paintings and often participates in open studio events where he demonstrates his style of painting. He paints in oils as a primary medium, and he is commissioned for his award-winning portraits, still-life art as well as impressionist landscape work.

His paintings are in private collections around the world including, Bulgaria, the Middle East, Brazil, Denmark, Cyprus, and The UK.

2024

• Demonstration-Harpenden Art Club, November 
• HAC Annual Exhibition-Harpenden, UK, Oct Portrait in Oils-Guest speaker and
• 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, Sept 

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

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