Kolio Karamfilov was born on December 7, 1963, in Plovdiv. In 1982 he graduated from the National High School of Stage and Film Design in Plovdiv. Since 1983 he has been actively involved in artistic life in Bulgaria and has made numerous appearances abroad.

He was active in almost all genres of visual arts - graphics, drawing, painting, sculpture, scenography, performance, installation, photography, interior design, book.

Founding member of the "Edge" group (1990)
Founding member of the "Disco 95" group (1995)

Solo exhibitions

1989 – Signs, Old Plovdiv
1992 – Amulets, Red Pony Gallery, Plovdiv
1993 – So much, Acrabov Gallery, Plovdiv
1993 – Scar of the Soul, Boyana Church Museum, Sofia
1993 – Subjective Rituals, Studio Spectrum Gallery, Sofia
1994 – Dedicated to... Ata Paradise Gallery, Sofia
1995 – The Imperfect Circle, Art 36 Gallery, Sofia
1995 - Exhibition with the Apollonia Art Festival program, Sozopol
1995 – Return to the Body, Balabanov House, Plovdiv
1996 – Faith, Hope and Love Exhibition, Kol Tempo Gallery, Plovdiv
1996 - Insubstantial Contemplations, Dyakov Gallery, Plovdiv
1997 – Subjective Rituals, Hitsuji-Garo Gallery, Niigata, Japan
1997 – Words Mismatch, Lucas Gallery, Plovdiv
1998 – Exhibition at the Bulgarian Cultural Institute, Moscow
1998 – Sinus, Shipka Six Gallery, Sofia
1998 – Overflow Outflow, Swiss Embassy, Sofia
1999 – His Hers, Ata Contemporary Art Center, Sofia
1999 – Sideways, State Art Gallery, Sliven.
1999 – AND FURTHER..., Contemporary Art Center, Banya Starinna, within the framework of the "European Month of Culture", Plovdiv
2000 – A few new works, ART 36 Gallery, Sofia
2001 – Kunst und Kultur, Aschau am Inn, Germany
2001 – Accidents, Iris Gallery, Sofia
2001 – Exhibition within the August in Art Festival, Bulart Gallery, Varna
2003 – Exhibition at the Bulgarian Cultural Centre, Tokyo, Japan
2003 – Objects and graphics, L'UNION DE PARIS Gallery, Plovdiv
2004 – Fly attempt, L'UNION DE PARIS Gallery, Plovdiv
2004 – The small items, Kozhuharovi Gallery, Sofia
2005 – Life Theatre, L'UNION DE PARIS Gallery, Plovdiv
2005 – Lack of operational experience, Art Alley Gallery, Sofia
2006 – TERRITORIALITI, L'UNION DE PARIS Gallery, Plovdiv
2007 – The spectating soul, L'UNION DE PARIS Gallery, Plovdiv
2008 – Peaks and Foothills, The Red Pony Gallery, Plovdiv
2009 – Painting exhibition, Aschau am Inn, Germany
2009 – POST, P.A.R.K. Gallery, Plovdiv
2010 – Exhibition at the Bulgarian Cultural Institute Wittgenstein House, Vienna
2010 – Exhibition at the Serdika Gallery, Warsaw
2010 – Exhibition at the Bulgarian Cultural Institute, Paris
2010 – Cheap and Gentle, Diakov Gallery. "Night of Museums and Galleries", Plovdiv
2010 – Exhibition at U P.A.R.K. Gallery, Plovdiv
2010 – Interpretations, Resonance Gallery, Plovdiv
2010 – Here and Now, There and Then, Art Lane Gallery, Sofia
2011 – While Listening to Piazzolla, L'UNION DE PARIS Gallery, Plovdiv
2011 – Made in Absence, 1908 Gallery, Sofia
2012 – Geppetto School, In the framework of Apollonia Art Festival, Sozopol
2012 – Exhibition in U P.A.R.K. Gallery, Plovdiv
2012 – HOMO LUDENS, Usine Gallery, Sofia
2013 – 50/50, L'UNION DE PARIS Gallery, Plovdiv
2013 – Classics, Gallery U P.A.R.K., Plovdiv

Major group appearances

1989 – Oasis, Activity with Dimitar Mitovski, Plovdiv
1989 – 3х7, With Rumen Zhekov and Pavel Albert, Plovdiv
1989 – New Classical Thought, Action with Dimitar Mitovsky, Sofia
1990 – Symbols and Signs, With "Edge" group, Plovdiv
1990 – Road to the Temple, With Dimitar Mitovsky, Plovdiv
1992 – The Ideal, With "Edge" group, Plovdiv
1992 – Feast, Action with the "Edge" group at the festival "Process Space", Balchik
1994– 15 paintings, With the painters Georgi Bozhilov ("The Elephant") and Nedko Itinov, Plovdiv
1995 – Joint exhibition with the painters Georgi Bozhilov ("The Elephant") and Nedko Itinov, Dosev Gallery, Sofia
1996 – INVENTION, With Samuil Ganev, Ata Paradise Gallery, Sofia
1996 – Classical subjects, With Disco 95 group, Ata Paradise Gallery, Sofia
1996 – Graphite, ash, rust, With Petar Dochev and Stanislav Pamukchiev, Ata Paradise Gallery, Sofia
1997 – Anonymously, With Vasil Popov and Valentin Stefanov, Ata - Centre for Contemporary Art, Sofia
1998 – Contemporary Bulgarian Art, ART FRONT GALLERY, Tokyo
1998 – DiscoLouvre, With "Disco95" group. National Art Gallery, Sofia
1999 – Black Sea - North Sea, Contemporary Bulgarian Art, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
1999 – Narcissus, With the "Disco 95" group, Contemporary Art Center, Banya Starinna, Plovdiv
2000– Light Projections, City Art Gallery, Varna
2000 – Sideways, Sollers Gallery, Sofia
2002 – The male body - a source of inspiration, Shipka Six Gallery, Sofia
2003 – Bulgarian-Japanese Graphic Art, Kofu, Japan
2009 – About wine and more, Manezh, Moscow
2009 – The Graphic as Messinger, Shipka Six Gallery, Sofia.
2010 – The Mercy Project, With Stefan Bozhkov, Exhibition premises of Raphael Mikhailov (Veliko Tarnovo), U P.A.R.K. Gallery (Plovdiv), NDK (Sofia), Vidima Gallery (Sevlievo).
2010 – Jury exhibition within the International Triennial of Graphic Art, Sofia
2011 – X.A.O.S., With Valeri Chakalov and Stefan Bozhkov, Seasons Gallery, Sofia
2011 – Energies, Usine Gallery, Sofia
2011 – Joint exhibition with Stefan Bojkov, A1 Gallery, Karlovo
2011 – Close to You, With Itsko Maznev and Nedko Itinov, U P.A.R.K. Gallery, Plovdiv
2012 – Avantage, With Itsko Maznev, U P.A.R.K. Gallery, Plovdiv

Author of the bronze statuette for the "Flight in Art" award of Stoyan Kambarev Foundation.

Stage designer of the productions:

2001 – Attempt to Fly, Based on Anton Chekhov, Directed by Andrey Zholdak (Ukraine), State Theatre of Nations, Moscow
2002 – Otello, Based on William Shakespeare, Directed by Andrey Zholdak, Teatrul Național "Radu Stanca" Sibiu, Romania
2002 – Hamlet dreams, Based on William Shakespeare, Directed by Andrey Zholdak, Kharkiv, Ukraine
2002 – We, the Sparrows, Based on Yordan Radichkov, Directed by Katya Petrova, Sofia Puppet Theatre
2004 – The Last Tape of Krapp, Samuel Beckett, Directed by Dimitar Elenov, Small City Theatre "Behind the Channel", Sofia
2005 – Masters, Racho Stoyanov, Directed by Petrinel Gotchev, "Racho Stoyanov" Drama Theatre, Gabrovo
2006 – Sleep Button, Valeri Petrov, Directed by Ivan Urumov, Nikolay Binev Youth Theatre, Sofia
2012 – The Cuckoo, Elin Rahnev, Directed by Lisa Shopova. Drama-puppet theatre "Dimitar Dimov", Kardzhali

Artist of the films:

2001 – Blueberry Hill, Screenwriter and director Alexander Morfov
2006 – Keeper of the Dead, Written and directed by Ilian Simeonov
2011 – Ave, Directed by Konstantin Bojanov

Posthumously awarded with the Jameson Grand Prize for Short Film at Sofia Film Fest 2013 for the film Casablanca, which he wrote and directed.

Catalogues

1996 – Recycles, Issued by K advertising
1999 – Sideways, Issued by K advertising
2014 – Kolyo K. Exhibition in May in Sofia City Art Gallery
2014 – Kolyo Karamfilov - Painting/ printmaking/ sculpture/ ceramics. Plovdiv, issued by "Janet 45".
2019 – Catalogue of the exhibition "The boundless for Kolyo K.", compiled by Galina Lardeva. Texts by Galina Lardeva, Elin Rakhnev, Dimitar Grozdanov

Books - drawings and graphics:

1981 – Cold Jazz, Alexander Sekulov, Individual publishing in 6 exemplars
1995 – Crocus winnow, Elin Rahnev, Published by Free Poetry Society
1995 – The Unpleasant Tatar, Lyudmil Stanev Published by Atelier '89, Second edition, 2016, Published by Janet 45
1998 – October, Elin Rahnev, Published by Parallax
1998 – Inviolable, Lyudmil Stanev, Published by Argus, Second edition, 2016, Janet 45
2004 – Less, Lyudmil Stanev, Published by Atelier '89, Second edition, 2016, Janet 45
2008 – Friends of mine, Lyudmil Stanev, Published by Atelier '89, Second edition, 2016, Janet 45
2008 – Cinnamon, Elin Rahnev, Published by "Torch"
2007 – Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, 9 eaux fortes by Kolyo Karamfilov, Bibliophile limited edition
2009 – Cinnamon, Elin Rakhnev. With 9 eaux fortes by Kolyo Karamfilov, Bibliophile limited edition
2013 – Sonnets, Shakespeare, translated by Vladimir Svintila, with 13 eaux fortes by Kolyo Karamfilov, Bibliophile limited edition
2015 – What a swell book this ain't, Lyudmil Stanev, Published by Janet 45, third edition.

Important awards:

1987 – Bronze medal and diploma from the International Biennial of Graphic Art in Varna
1989 – First Prize at the VIII National Youth Exhibition - Sofia
1989 – Southern Spring Award, Haskovo
1995 – Grand Prix of the First International Triennial of Graphic Art - Sofia
1997 – Creative stay at Cité des Arts in Paris
2005 – Plovdiv Fine Arts Prize
2015 – Honorary Citizen of Plovdiv (posthumously)

Since 1992 - residing and working in Sofia.
In 2012 returned to his hometown Plovdiv.
Died 12 January 2014 in Plovdiv.

Posthumous exhibitions:

2019, January – The boundless for Kolyo K., City Art Gallery, Plovdiv, Curators Galina Lardeva and Radost Kotseva
2019, October – The boundless for Kolyo K., NDK Gallery, Sofia, Curators Galina Lardeva and Radost Kotseva
2014, May - Sofia City Art Gallery
2014 – City Art Gallery, Plovdiv
2015 – National Art Gallery