Jordan Ivanov earned his master’s degree in fine arts in 1993 from the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria. Now based in the U.S., he is a prolific painter and sculptor working in multiple mediums

His work has been shown in over 40 solo and group exhibitions, and his murals and sculptures are on display in public spaces throughout the U.S., including New Orleans and Chicago.

Jordan’s fluency in a range of materials and methods compels him to create unique artworks. He freely mixes mediums to push the boundaries of what material, form and negative space can give him.

His recent works – abstract figurative sculptures in steel and oxidized metal shavings – unite his understanding of metalsmithing with his deep training in classical forms and proportions.

These gestural sculptures are distilled into powerful, calligraphic “strokes” of steel that propel the human form into the realm of abstraction. The austerity of the forms is spare but nuanced, describing figures either solo or in dialogue with one another that coil and move between tension and rest.

The elongated figures rise from minimal steel bases and form a pleasing contrast with the sumptuous patina of the metal that Ivanov has achieved by inducing an alchemical process (time + temperature + humidity) to weather the steel until it reaches a stage that pleases the artist. The patinas are then stabilized to prevent deterioration, but the colors and nuances may continue to further deepen and change over time. “The results,” he says, “are not always completely within my control… and I like that.”