Boyan Montero is an artist rooted in drawing, believing it can take countless forms. Drawing inspiration from life experiences and the complexities of human nature, Boyan often embraces their inner child for authenticity. Their work spans various media, including collage, text, sound, and digital media, allowing them to transform their drawings into installations and performances. Vibrant colors characterize their aesthetic, interwoven with childhood fairy tales and personal narratives. Furthermore, their research on the concept of the gift has led to multi-sensory installations, and their performances often incorporate text and involve collaboration with others.

Education

• 2019–22MA Fine Arts, Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2016–19BA Fine Arts, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2017Exchange Fine Arts, School of Visual Arts, New York City, United States
• 2011–15BA Book and Printed Graphics, National Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2011–15BEd Theory and Practice of Art Education, National Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2012Exchange Graphic Design, École Estienne, Paris, France

Solo exhibitions

• 2023Valley of Desire, Open Studio, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2023Documents From When I Was Living on the Moon, Online Installation
• 2020I Don’t Know Who You Are but I Miss You, Mertens Frames Project Space by Plan B, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2008Games, Debut Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria

Performances

• 2023Love Letter, Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2022Venom, De Thomaskerk, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019Hi Stranger, NEVERNEVERLAND, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019You Got to Burn to Shine, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019A Puppet Opera, Part 2, Korzo Theatre, The Hague, The Netherlands
• 2019A Puppet Opera, Part 1, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019Composers' Festival, Conservatorium van Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Group exhibitions

• 2023Living Room, Marwan, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2022Sandberg Institute Graduation Show, diez gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2022Small Thing, NEVERNEVERLAND, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2021The Resident Broadcast, W139, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2020I Really Wanna Be With You, Lumen Travo Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2020Dust is Us, NEVERNEVERLAND, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019Buzzcut, M4gastatelier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019The Common Inn, Het Nieuwe Instituut, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019Gerrit Rietveld Academie Graduation Show, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019Pleinkamer Opening, The Bookstore Foundation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2018Tight-Lipped and Tongue-Tied, Museum Perron Oost, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2018Uncut, Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2010The Prediction Collection, Embassy of Serbia, Sofia, Bulgaria

Publications

• 2022A Muscular Little Red Riding Hood Collecting Heavy Stones, Artistic Research, Sandberg Institute, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2019Only The Sun Comes Up For Free, Artistic Research, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• 2017The Character of the Dream, Artist’s Book, New York City, United States
• 2016IRIS, Artist’s Book, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Grants and Awards

• 2010Grand Prize for Creative Achievement, 4th National Youth Exhibition Collage, Bulgarian Ministry of Culture & National Arts School ‘Tsanko Lavrenov’, Plovdiv, Bulgaria
• 2009First Place in the Painting Section, National Youth Competition for Fine and Applied Arts, Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
• 2001–08Various Awards for Painting & Collage for Youth and Children’s Exhibitions, Bulgaria and China

Publicity

• 2023terra(t)rium, M4gastatelier, www.terra-t-rium.com
• 2022Kunst kijken in De Thomas, article by Saskia van Wees, online newspaper Amsterdam-Zuid, www.wijkkrantzuid.nl
• 2022Sandberg Institute Graduation 2022, article by Branko Popovic, www.brankopopovic.blogspot.com
• 2022The Resident Broadcast, interview by Maria Barnas, W139, www.w139.nl
• 2019Gaudeamus Saturday Afternoon, interview by Luke Deane, Stranded FM, www.stranded.fm
• 2019Een perspectiefwisseling met een knauw, article by Ans Vianen, www.ansans.nl
• 2019Om een veelvoudige wereld te maken heb je lichtheid nodig, article by Alina Lupu, Tubelight, www.tubelight.nl
• 2008Boyan Montero, artist profile by Irena Georgieva, One Week in Sofia, December issue, Bulgaria
• 2008Through Drawing I Transform Myself, interview by Malina Tomova, Literaturen Vestnik (Literary Newspaper), October issue, Bulgaria
• 2008The Debut of One Young Montero, article by Diana Stoeva, Vestnik Kultura (Culture Newspaper), October issue, Bulgaria
• 2007Reading Is a Celebration, interview by Malina Tomova, Literaturen Vestnik (Literary Newspaper), November issue, Bulgaria