Ape Sheep, 2020

Rossen Daskalov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. During his teens, he studied on a full- time five years course in the School of Fine Arts, Sofia. In the fourth year of the course, he was expelled for destroying socialist property and interned for ten months to the art school in the town of Kazanluk. Returning in Sofia for the final year of his study, he became a home student in order to avoid the harassment of certain teachers. Rossen immigrated to UK in the early nineties and was accepted on a Part Time Painting course in Central St.Martins’ School of Art. In his first years in London he explored different range of media such as installation, sculpture, photography and performance, while at the same time experimented with abstract painting and collage. Experiencing personal challenges as well as the difficulties of settling in a new place, he questioned the direction of his work and midway through his part time course he reignited his interest in figurative painting and drawing. Since his graduation he has worked as an art teacher for various charities and organisations across London. In 2003 he was awarded a bursary to study on the Drawing Year in the Royal Drawing School. This intensive period of drawing encouraged him to embrace the importance of observation as a foundation to a visual enquiry and as a connection that expands the sensitivity of the imagination.  Since 2012 he has been teaching etching and drawing in the Royal Drawing School. Rossen has based his practice in Hackney Wick since 2004. He has received public art commissions and his work is held in public and private collections in UK and abroad.