"Father" is a print combining dry point and blind embossing, 30x40cm.
It is hugely inspired by Rembrandt's etching "The Sacrifice of Abraham" and also by the complex relationship between a parent and a child.
In his etching "The Sacrifice of Abraham", Rembrandt does not simply illustrate the biblical story, he focuses on part of the human experience.
I am honored to be awarded at the Rembrandt Interpretation Contest with my interpretation of "The Sacrifice of Abraham" etching - "Father". The competition took place within the project "In the Mirror of Rembrandt".
The exhibition was opened by the Vice Rector of New Bulgarian University Assoc. Prof. Kristyan Postadzhyian and Ambassador Simon Van der Burg , who awarded us with Dutch Delft Blue ceramics.
The works of all participants can be viewed at UniArt Gallery, Sofia together with nearly 40 Rembrandt etchings until the end of February 2024.
For this dry point I made nearly 100 smaller conception sketches and drawings. The prints are made in the NBU Print Atelier, 2023.
The images of the father (Abraham), the son (Isaac) and the angel are highly symbolic, I stylized them as much as possible. For this piece I used two printing techniques - dry point an blind embossing. I depicted the father as a black figure with very chaotic lines as a metaphor of his complex inner world. Isaac is considerably smaller, all white, looking pure and defenseless next to the father figure. The two bodies, that are dry point print, lack detail - they are reduced to silhouettes that are reversed in direction but yet identical. To indicate the divine presence I used another printing technique - blind embossing. The angel is depicted only as a relief that becomes visible only if one looks at it from a certain angle.
I named my interpretation "Father" with reference to my own father and my relationship with him. In my piece, I highlight the moral dilemma of the enduring human struggle between duty, compassion, faith, commitment and personal sacrifice in the context of family relationships.
