The name of Stoyan Rangelov is barely known to the general Bulgarian public. The artist was born in 1911 in the village of Draintsi near Trun. In 1929 he entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia. In 1934 he graduated from the Painting Department under Prof. Nikola Marinov and the Decorative Arts Departmant under Prof. Nikolai Rainov. Upon graduating with honours, Stoyan Rangelov earned a specialization scholarship and left for Germany and Italy. He died in Sofia in 1949.

Stoyan Rangelov used to work as an army artist for the Military Geographic Institute in Sofia. He is known for his works of oil, water-colours, drawings, graphics, caricatures and monumental decorations. His most active period as an artist was in the thirties and forties. During his short life he held eight one-man exhibitions in Sofia and around the country. His work is found in the permanent collections of the National Art Gallery, Sofia Art Gallery, the Museum of Military history in Sofia and private collectors.

The current exhibition includes about 50 works – paintings, water-colours, drawings and documents. The exposition aims at presenting an ignored artist and popularizing his artistic heritage. The works at display – portraits, landscapes and compositions – embody the spirit of a controversial and dynamic period of Bulgarian history. They impress with romantic and nostalgic moods, expressive solid forms and water-colour blendings with pasty brush strokes. The “Native” and the “European” intertwine in an eclectic way thus building up the artistic image of Stoyan Rangelov.