The venue of the lessedra Miniprint Annual 2003 at the National Palace of Culture, Sofia.

Ariberto Badaloni, Italy, "19 November 1952," 2002; etching, aquatint

Anthea Boesenberg, Australia, "Bones I,"
2003; intaglio, polymer plate

Ana Fialho, Portugal,
"The Portrait," 2002; etching

Serkan Adin, Turkey,
"Asian Girl," 2002; woodcut

Marie Bukowski, U.S.A.,
"Vertical Variations #43," 2002; monotype, etching

A New Rising Star in the
World Printmaking Sky

The Second lessedra International Miniprint Annual 2003, a new addition to the international printmaking scene, opened at the Marble Foyer of the National Palace of Cultural, Sofia, Bulgaria on June 24, 2003.

It was inaugurated in 2002 by the lessedra Gallery with the avowed aim of "gathering and exhibiting contemporary art print works from all over the world, to contribute to the contacts and the exchange between artists and art lovers and to stimulate the research into paper, inks, and other materials used in printmaking.

On View Now
The show is on view June 24 through July 10, 2003.
Print works of 88 artists from 32 countries have been selected for the exhibition by an independent international jury: Prof. Kathryn J. Reeves, Purdue University, USA; Ann Desmet, editor of Printmaking Today magazine; Prof. Barbara Madsen, Rutgers University, USA; Ulrich R. Daemmrich, grafikboerse.de, Germany; Simeona Hoskova, Stredoevropska Galeria a Nakladatelstvi, publisher of Grapheion review, Czech Republic and Japanese printmaker, Masahiro Fukuda.

The jury, after valuation and discussion of the works, presented the following prizes: The 1st prize: Rosa Gabriel, Germany; 2nd prize: Janet Preston, Northen Ireland; 3rd prize, Atanas Vassilev, Bulgaria, plus five special prizes for the works of Gail D. Panske, USA; Ian Shatilla, Canada; Toshimi Kitano, Japan; Mark Franchino, USA; Herman Noordermeer, Netherlands. Prizes for young and emerging artists went to Ivanka Stavreva, Bulgaria and Veliko Marinchevski, Bulgaria.

More Prizes
The grafikboerse.de "Artist of month-June" went to Jenia Kojuharova, Bulgaria.
On display this year are differing styles, techniques, ideas and visions of both well-known artists as well as newcomers. From traditional techniques to digital and new ways of creating images; all are represented in the exhibition. A review of the records of the selected print works shows the characteristic terminology of printmaking: woodcut, wood engraving, linocut, etching, dry point, intaglio, mezzotint, photopolymer, lithography, xylography and some touches of photoengraving, serigraphy, digital prints, and even collage. The interaction between traditional and digital photography and conventional techniques produces a strong visual experience and fresh new insights.

The Winner's Show
In accordance with the lessedra Mini Print Annual rules a solo exhibition of print works of the leading Japanese printmaker Masahiro Fukuda, first prize winner of the first edition "lessedra International Mini Print Annual" 2002 was opened in the National Palace of Cultural, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Arafat Al-Naim
Ph.D. in Graphic Arts- Printmaking
National Fine Art Academy Sofia/ Bulgaria