Pink Ladies

For Nikolaev, it was an easy choice: the Pink Lady is his favorite apple. Not just because they're so deliciously crunchy and sweet. The name "Pink Lady" sounds so cozy, as if they were sweet old ladies. They'd be great to have at a picnic. You can't say the same for Elstar or Jonagold.

Nikolaev is known for his everyday shapes, which he gives an unexpected twist. His works look sleek and seductive, almost like design objects, but beneath the glossy surface lies a deeper story. He invites us to look beyond what seems beautiful and appealing.

Behind the glow of the apples lie themes such as life and death, time and transience, but also consumption and our hunger for perfection. Just like in the painterly tradition of still life, we are reminded of the fragility of our existence—wrapped in an image that is simultaneously playful and confrontational.

Stefan Nikolaev (Sofia, 1970) lives and works between Paris and Sofia. He represented Bulgaria at the 52nd Venice Biennale and received the UNESCO Art Prize at the 4th Cetinje Biennale. His work is internationally renowned for the way it transports us to a world where design and art challenge each other.