Mihail Simeonov print Bulgaria 1929- (United Nations Elephant) casted live elephant

I was lucky to find this at thrift store, I dropped it and glass shattered but it did not hurt print at all. Now must look for new frame, I like this print. He is probably most famous for "cast the sleeping elephant" which he says was a 25 yr. journey, and many countries in Africa and India. In 1998 it was put in front of United Nations. The elephant was unharmed. the other statue was in Bulgaria, he left after Russians tanks came in, his father was arrested earlier by Gestapol. He went to Tunisia then to New York Mihail enrolled to study philosophy at the University of Saints Clement and Methodius in Sofia. Two years later he was accepted at Sofia’s Academy of Fine Artsfrom where he graduated in monumental sculpture in 1954.And for Mihail there was a way to circumvent the imposed official and political censorship of art - the nationalhistorical perspective and images. During the eleven years (1954-1965) leading to his departure fromBulgaria, he created public works of art that survived the tempest of the times, the viciousness of thecommunism system and the anarchy that followed.Mihail’s monument of
Paisii of Hilendar
installed in Sofia’s Cathedral Square became a focal point for thepeoples’ rejection of the Communist system. Flowers laid at the monument were promptly removed by thepolice and a week after its erection, the monument was covered and roped off from the public. It turned outthat at that time a Communist Government delegation had gone to Moscow to plead Bulgaria’s inclusion inthe Soviet Union. The monument remained covered for eight months. Many literary, artistic and public figuresdid their best to save the monument from condemnation and destruction. At a meeting called by theCommunist Party Politburo a furious confrontation erupted between the President and Mihail, who at thatpoint was not entirely sure if he would walk out of there free. He did – but only to find himself an outcast. Atthe green clothed table, adorned with goblets holding thick red and blue pencils, all his commissions wereirrevocably canceled and his
Paisii of Hilendar
monument was ordered to be destroyed (the monumentsurvived).With all means of survival gone, the artist took the first opportunity to leave the country. He was granted a 45day valid passport to travel to “Tunisia only”. So Mihail left on his self- imposed exile that would bring him, viaTunisia, to New York six years later.
The artist in 1947, student atSo?a Academy of Fine Arts

One notable exception was the plundering of his Sofia studio after the collapse of Communism and thedestruction of his vintage plaster originals, drawings and memorabilia. The destruction provoked powerfulnationwide media condemnation with articles and photographs of Mihail’s broken sculptures, which had beendumped on the street.
TUNISIA
The artist arrived in Tunis in 1965 and embarked on his new life of freedom, enchanted by the exuberance of Tunisia’s Mediterranean colors, so different from the ones he was accustomed to. Paul Klee on a trip to Tunis in1914 was also overwhelmed by the intense light there, which inspired his awakening to color .In Tunis, Mihail exhibited with the artist group
Ecole de Tunis
. One of his sculptures, a portrait statue of
IbnKhaldun
, the 14th century Arab poet and philosopher, attracted President Bourguiba’s attention. Bourguiba askedMihail to sculpt his portraits and commissioned the sculpture for the 150 meter long Carrara marble wall for theNational Monument,
The Martyrs of Bizerte
. Mihail carved the marble in Quercheta, Italy, where he met HenryMoore, Marino Marrini and Isamu Noguchi who were working in the same quarry courtyard, and Jacques Lipshitzat the nearby village of Pietra Santa.Influenced by the culture of ancient Carthage, in 1967, the artist developed a group of abstract symbols he called
Sunday Morning*
. They became the basis of an extended series that included prints, wood and bronze sculpturesand other mixed media works. In 1971 the artist emigrated to the USA and settled in New York, NY.*see MIHAIL - SUNDAY MORNING SERIEShttp://www.scribd.com/doc/34393790/Mihail-Sunday-Morning-Series
Mihail
?
s studio in So?a, Bulgaria with the destroyed works

Marble reliefs for theTHE MARTYRS OF BIZERTA, National monument, TunisDetails from the 150 ft. long marble reliefs on the monument

Mihail 1968Metal sculpture at the Olympic Stadium, Tunis

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