Albena was born into a family where art wasn’t just a profession but a way of life. Surrounded by painters from an early age, she grew up in an environment that nurtured her talent and sharpened her eye long before she ever entered a classroom. Her formal journey began remarkably early—she picked up a brush at the age of four, and from that moment on, drawing and painting became her natural language.
She spent twelve years immersed in classical art training in Bulgaria, a foundation that shaped both her technique and her artistic identity. In 1978, she graduated from the “Ilia Petrov” High School of Fine Arts in Sofia, studying under the respected artist Sava Savov. That same year, she continued her path at the National Academy of Arts “Nikolai Pavlovich,” where she specialized in mural painting under Professor Iliya Iliev—an influential figure in her development as a large-scale visual storyteller.
After receiving her degree in 1983, Albena quickly stepped into the public art sphere, creating two major murals in the towns of Boboshevo and Kyustendil.
Her first solo exhibition came in 1987. Two of the works displayed there were acquired by the National Art Gallery in Sofia. During the same period, she participated for four consecutive years (1987–1990) at Art Basel, the world’s most prestigious fair for contemporary art. This exposure opened the doors to international audiences, and her paintings soon found homes in corporate and private collections across Europe and beyond.
During the first few years in the USA Albena had several solo shows in Washington, DC, Los Angeles and Chicago and sold her original art to private collectors. During this period she had great success selling her originals, but she also realized how few people have access to her art across the globe. Albena’s vision and ambition was to touch as many people as it was possible in her lifetime. She needed a different channel to realize her dreams. In 2000, Albena discovered the world of art publishing. In New York, she met the owners of a wonderful company called Wild Apple Graphics and as they say the rest is history.
Albena had instant success in the art publishing business. Over the last 15 years she has created over thousand images that have sold as millions of prints across all five continents. You already may have seen her work in Nordstrom, Macy’s JC Penny’s, Aaron Brothers, Cost Plus, Pier One and many other furniture and accessories chains and retailers. The wide appeal of Albena’s artistic sensibilities has also lead to many licensing contracts with many different home decor companies, including seven wildly successful signature wallpaper collections. You can find her merchandise in Bed, Bath and Beyond, Kirkland, Harrods in London, eBay, Amazon, etc.
Albena’s artistic interest have taken her to many different subject matters and styles from the classical and traditional to the expressionist and abstract; from florals and architectural themes to canyons and minerals. Albena’s has developed a unique style that can be easily recognized across her large body of work.
Over the past 15 years, Albena’s work has focused primarily on fine art. This period began with a major exhibition and an exclusive representation agreement with LuminArte Fine Art Gallery in Dallas, Texas—a partnership that continues to this day. Since then, Albena has taken part in numerous group and solo exhibitions, most recently in November 2025 at the NDK Gallery in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The intent of this site is to get you acquainted with Albena's art and give you the opportunity to contact the artist.
Since 2018 Albena changed her official signature to AlbenaMax in honor of her late husband and art partner Max (Maxim Lazarov).
An Artist Statement
My art is an intimate chronicle, a visual diary of my lived experience. I paint what resonates deeply within me, translating the tangible and the emotional onto canvas. These works are more than mere representations; they are conduits, opening a passage from my soul to the heart of the viewer.
Exhibitions
1987: Solo Show, Sofia Bulgaria
1987: Art Basel, Switzerland
1988: Art Basel, Switzerland
1988: InterArt, Poland
1989: Art Basel, Switzerland
1989: Frankfurt Art Fair, West Germany
1989: World Youth Festival, Pyongyang, North Korea
1989: 8th Youth Exhibition, Sofia, Bulgaria
1990: Art Basel, Switzerland
1991: Solo Show, Lori Kay Gallery at the Disneyland Hilton, Anaheim, CA
1992: Solo Show, Michael Stone Collection Gallery, George Town, Washington, DC
1995: Solo Show, Nelly Angel Gallery, Chicago, IL
2000 – 2009: ArtExpo, New York, NY
2000 – 2016: Surtex, New York, NY
2010 – 2016: West Coast Art and Frame Show, Las Vegas, NV
2016: Bistango, Irvine, CA
2017 – Present: LuminArte Gallery, Dallas, TX
2022 – Present: The Barker Gallery, Windsor, UK
2023: Salon International d'Art Contemporain, Carousel du Louvre, Paris, France
2023: Exposition d'Art, Espace Sorbonne 4, Paris, France
2024: Salon d'Automne, Paris, France
2025: Solo Show, The Minoritenkirche, Vienna, Austria
2025: Solo Show, Budapest, Hungary
Apr. 2025: “Intimately” (Solo Show), Sofia, Bulgaria
May 2025: “Flower in the Hair” (Solo Show), The White Yard Museum, Karlovo, Bulgaria
2025: Salon d’Automne, Paris, France
Nov. 2025: “Moonlight” (Solo Show), Pop-up Gallery, Sofia, Bulgaria
Nov./Dec. 2025: “My Heroes” (Solo Show), National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria
Upcoming Exhibitions
Feb. 2026: “Faces of the Earth” (Solo Show), Bulgarian Cultural Institute, Budapest, Hungary
Feb. 2026: “My Heroes” (Solo Show), University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
Mar. 2026: “Angel Hands” (Solo Show), Kecskemét, Hungary