Tanya Atanasova

Tanya Atanasova is a Bulgarian-born Belgian figurative realist artist, founder and Chair of the FiKVA Foundation (Figuratieve Kunst Vandaag — "Figurative Art Today"), and a judge of the Third Venice International Watercolor Festival.

Tanya was born in 1978 in Pirdop, Bulgaria, and is currently based in Antwerp, Belgium. She graduated with the highest honors from the National Academy of Art in Sofia, Bulgaria, with a Bachelor of Applied Arts, before pursuing an Erasmus exchange year at Sint-Lucas Art Academy in Ghent, Belgium. In 2016, she further refined her realist painting technique through a masterclass with renowned artist Eloy Morales in Madrid.

Working from her studio in Antwerp, Tanya's practice is rooted in contemporary realism, with a particular focus on narrative non-traditional portraiture. She is known for her large-scale figurative works, distinguished by their deep psychological observation and emotional sensitivity — each painting conceived as a window into the inner life, personality, and personal history of its subject. Her work has been widely exhibited in galleries, museums, and art fairs across Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, the United States, and Canada, and has been featured in prominent international publications including Fine Art Connoisseur, American Art Collector, and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, among others.

In 2021, Tanya founded the FiKVA Foundation, where she continues to serve as Chair, dedicated to supporting and promoting contemporary figurative and realist art. The Foundation's flagship initiative, the International FiKVA Award for Painters, is open to figurative artists from Europe and beyond, and has established itself as one of the most significant professional awards in the Belgian and broader European figurative art landscape. She also serves as a juror for several other international competitions, including the Titian Competition (Italy/China) and the Altamira Art Prize (USA).