Meet the Artist

Sabbi Gavrailov is a self-taught artist from Bulgaria who works and creates in Hemel Hempstead, 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 is known for his portraits and landscapes depicting the village life in the region, as well as Mincho Katsarov, 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. He strongly believes his talent comes from the roots of the family. 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 back home in Bulgaria 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. Sabbi is an active member of the Hertfordshire visual art organisation and his portraiture has won the “Visitors Choice Award for a Painting” at the Harpenden Art Club Annual exhibitions for two consecutive years, 2021/22.

Sabbi uses 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, and The UK.

2023
 

• HAC 64th Annual Group Exhibition-Harpenden, UK -Oct
• ALDENHAM ART FESTIVAL, UK - Sept 
• HVAF Big Art Fair-Group Exhibition, Hitchin, UK -July
• Dimitar Georgiev Gallery, Plovdiv, Bulgaria-Solo exhibition(18th-28th-May)
• R Young Gallery-Permanent Exhibition, Wokingham, UK
• Jackson's Painting Prize  2023- Participating 
• Royal Society of Portrait Painters Annual Exhibition 2023 - Participating 
• Royal Society of British Painters Annual exhibition 2023 - Participating 

2022

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