Huai-Kuei Song and Maryn Varbanov, Selected Works,1975-79 at BANK
Journeying to China from Bulgaria to study art and arthistory at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in the 1950s asone of the first foreign exchange students, MarynVarbanov (1932-1989) met Song Huai-Kuei (1937-2006), aclassmate who was assigned to be his translator andguide.
Dating discreetly, the couple married in 1956 and soon became lifelong collaborators as visionary textile artists. Returning to Bulgaria in 1958, Varbanov began working with felt made from goat's hair to create soft sculptural forms, which would be exhibited as free-standing andsuspended column-like forms.
The Bulgarian artist's residency in Paris in 1975 led toshows at the Grand Palais and FIAC and to an introductionto Pierre Cardin, who became a major collector andworked with Huai-Kuei Song (now known as Madame Song) to bring his fashions to China in the 1980s.
At the Feature sector of the fair, BANK is showing fascinating fiber artworks by the two artists and related works on paper by Varbanov. Gaining renewed recognition, Song was the subject of a recent survey at M+in Hong Kong, and four large, soft sculptures by Varbanov from 1977 were iust acquired by the Tate in London.
