Yanko Tihov - Passport Maps Catalogue - courtesy of TAG Fine Arts

Yanko Tihov Passport Maps

Yanko Tihov’s maps are not only beautiful to look at, they are also historical and topical at this changing political time. Full of information collected from census studies, he uses original passport covers to examine changing borders and populations. Ultimately, these artworks celebrate diversity and travel.

Tihov is a prize-winning painter and print-maker. Born in the middle of the Cold War on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain, he trained at the National Academy of Arts in Bulgaria, and is now based in London.

The fall of the Berlin Wall, and the experiences of his childhood created his interest in the movement of people and changes in the world map over time. Many of Tihov’s editions are hand gilded using various shades of gold, silver, or platinum to capture the individual details of the texts, seals and coats of arms.

His artworks have been exhibited and collected extensively in Europe, Hong Kong, New York and Singapore, as well as at the Royal Academy in London.

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

World Passport Map, 2016 Mixed media and silkscreen print with 23.5 Carat warm gold, 22.5 Carat Renaissance gold and silver leaf Edition of 50
 85 x 160 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

London Passport Map, 2015
 Archival print hand-gilded with 23 Carat Shell gold Edition of 30
 61 x 83.7 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

New York Tri State Map, 2016
 Archival print hand gilded with 24 Carat gold leaf Edition of 30
 95 x 95 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

UK & Ireland (Black), 2015 Twelve colour pigment-based archival prints on Hahnemühle Paper Hand-painted embossed clay and various genuine gold leafs Edition of 30 84.5 x 108.5 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

UK & Ireland (White), 2015 Twelve colour pigment-based archival prints on Hahnemühle Paper Hand-painted embossed clay and various genuine gold leafs Edition of 30 84.5 x 108.5 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

Europe Contemporary – Europe 1930’s, 2017 Lenticular Print Edition of 50 83.5 x 118.5 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

Europe Contemporary – Europe Cold War, 2015 Lenticular Print Edition of 50 83.5 x 118.5 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

Contemporary Europe, 2018 Acrylic and gold leaf on canvas 200 x 200 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

Contemporary Continents, 2013
 Archival prints hand-gilded with 23 Carat Shell Gold Editions of 20
 61 x 83.7 cm each

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

Passport Map USA, 2014
 Archival print hand-gilded with 23 Carat gold leaf Edition of 50
 59.4 x 85 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

Mickey America, 2017 Archival print with embossed Dutch gold leaf Edition of 30 38 x 50.5 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

San Francisco – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

Mexico City – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

Miami – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

Boston – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

New York City – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

Sao Paolo – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

London – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

Dubai – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

Singapore – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

Hong Kong – 2017, 2017 Archival print hand gilded with 23 carat shell gold Edition of 5 76 x 76 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

British Empire, 2015
 Archival print hand gilded with shades of genuine gold leaf Edition of 30
 111.8 x 111.8 cm

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

YANKO TIHOV Lives and works in London, UK

Education 1997-2001 National Academy of Arts, Sofia - BA of Fine Arts and Printmaking 1993-1997 Art College “N. Raynov” - Specialty Oil painting and illustration

Selected Exhibitions 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2019 2018 2018 2018 2018 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2017 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2016 2015 2015 2014 2014 2014 2014 2013 2012 2012 2002

AAF Battersea, TAG Fine Arts, London AAF New York, TAG Fine Arts, New York Fair For Saatchi, TAG Fine Arts, London AAF Hong Kong, TAG Fine Arts, Hong Kong RA London Original Print Fair, TAG Fine Arts, London London Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, London AAF Hong Kong, Tag Fine Arts, Hong Kong AAF Hampstead, TAG Fine Arts, London The London Original Print Fair, TAG Fine Arts, London London Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, London IFPDA’s INK Miami Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Miami AAF Singapore, TAG Fine Arts, London AAF Battersea, TAG Fine Arts, London AAF Hong Kong, TAG Fine Arts, Hong Kong AAF Hampstead, TAG Fine Arts, London London Original Print Fair, Royal Academy, London, UK London Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Islington, London, UK ING Discerning Eye, ICA, London, UK AAF Singapore, TAG Fine Arts, Singapore AAF Hampstead, TAG Fine Arts, London AAF Hong Kong, TAG Fine Arts, Hong Kong London Original Print Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Royal Academy, London AAF New York, TAG Fine Arts, Metropolitan Pavilion, New York London Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Islington, London, UK AAF Battersea, TAG Fine Arts, London Multiplied Contemporary Editions Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Christie’s, London BP Portrait Award 2014, National Portrait Gallery, London, UK London Original Print Fair, Royal Academy, London, UK Royal Society of Portrait Painters, The Mall Galleries, London, UK London Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Islington, London, UK London Art Fair, TAG Fine Arts, Islington, London UK Royal Institute Of Oil Painters Exhibition, London, UK London Art Fair, with TAG Fine Arts, London UK Royal Society Of Portrait Painters Exhibition, London, UK

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

2011 2011 2010 2010 2009 2009 2009 2008 2007 2007 2007 2006 2006 2006 2006 2006 2005 2005 2004 2004 2003 2003 2003 2003 2002 2002 2002 2002 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2001 2000 2000 1999

Jack Fine Art, London, UK Lisa Sharpe Contemporary Art, London, UK Royal Institute Of Oil Painters Exhibition, London, UK Royal Society Of Portrait Painters Exhibition, London, UK Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize, London, UK ING Discerning Eye, Drawing Bursary, London, UK Royal Institute Of Oil Painters Exhibition, London, UK ING Discerning Eye, London, UK Royal Institute Of Oil Painters Exhibition, London, UK Royal Society Of Portrait Painters Exhibition, London, UK Jill George Gallery, The Figure Show, London, UK Royal Institute Of Oil Painters Exhibition, London, UK Royal Academy Of Arts, Summer Exhibition, London, UK The Iowa Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary prints, Iowa, USA 3rd Competition Biblioteca Comunale di Lomazzo, Italy Leonardo Sciascia PRIZE, Venice, Rome, Florence, Milan, Italy Royal Institute Of Oil Painters Exhibition, London, UK 15th Exlibris small graphic exhibition Sint-Niklaas, Belgium Royal Institute Of Oil Painters Exhibition, London, UK The Pastel Society in UK Exhibition, London, UK Royal Academy Of Arts, Summer Exhibition, London, UK Royal Society Of Portrait Painters Exhibition, London, UK 5th International Graphic competition Gliwice, Poland 14th Exlibris small graphic exhibition Sint-Niklaas, Belgium The Open Eye Gallery, Edinburgh, Scotland Celadon Art Gallery, London, UK Exlibris Ville d’issy-les- Moulineaux, France 2nd Competition Biblioteca Comunale di Lomazzo, Italy Asociacion Cultural Sanmartina de Gral.S.Martin, Argentina 13th Exlibris small graphic exhibition Sint-Niklaas, Belgium 21st Mini Print International, Cadaques, Spain 11th Printmaking Biennial Varna, Bulgaria 4th International Graphic competition, Gliwice, Poland 3rd International Triennial Of Printmaking, Sofia, Bulgaria 1st Exlibris Contest Acqui Terme Rotary Club, Italy Vitosha Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria 3rd International biennial Raciborz, Poland Regency Gallery, Cambridge, UK Pavela Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria

Selected Awards 1998 2000 2000 2001

Department of Printmaking at the National Academy of Art National Academy of Art - “Drawing 2000 competition” Award and Grant for Graphic Arts from the Open Society Foundation Award and diploma for Exlibris Contest “San Martin” Argentina

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

2004 2004 2009

Winsor & Newton award Commended Finalist at the 117th Exhibition of The Royal Institute Of Oil Painters, The Mall Galleries, London, UK Prize for notable work at the 117th Exhibition of The Royal Institute Of Oil Painters, The Mall Galleries, London ING Discerning Eye Exhibition, Drawing Bursary, Runner up prize.

About the Artist Yanko Tihov is a prize-winning painter and print-maker who trained in Sofia and works in London. He is well known for his surreal urban images, but has also realised a series of works inspired by changes to the world map. In his passport series of limited edition handfinished prints, the design is determined by the colours and motifs of each country’s passport, which the artist carefully matches and re-creates within the correct national borders. Tihov has hand-painted the texts, seals and coats of arms which adorn the covers with real gold leaf, successfully capturing their individual details. The paint adds a unique layer to each work which beautifully reflects the light and enlivens the surface.

TAG Fine Arts is an art dealers and publishers based on Upper Street, Islington. Since launching in 2006, we have represented emerging and established contemporary artists through a programme of exhibitions, commissions, major publishing projects, and collaborations with museums and non-commercial institutions.

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com

TAG Fine Arts, Unit 129a, Business Design Centre, 52 Upper Street, London N1 0QH | www.tagfinearts.com +44 20 7688 8446 | info@tagfinearts.com