Yassen Grigorov

Yassen Grigorov is a multi-award winning documentary and commercial photographer, based in London. He was born in Sofia in the late nineties, a period of great socio-political turbulence in his home country, as it struggled to find its feet within democracy, being the last of the Soviet republics to...

Yassen Grigorov is a multi-award winning documentary and commercial photographer, based in London. He was born in Sofia in the late nineties, a period of great socio-political turbulence in his home country, as it struggled to find its feet within democracy, being the last of the Soviet republics to turn away from communism. He was privileged enough to grow up around an increasingly more diverse group of peers and developed a curious, inquisitive and critical outlook on the world. This put him on track to study law upon graduating high school, a decision he backed out of when he discovered his passion for creativity and the arts. It was also around this time that he began feeling increasingly disenfranchised within his home country, growing frustrated by the governmental corruption, which is pervasive in Bulgaria. That, coupled with a tiny market for his chosen medium of photography, and no real opportunities for higher education in the field, propelled him towards education in one of the most prestigious photographic degrees in Europe, at the University of Westminster. Throughout his time there, Grigorov gained a deep appreciation for the value brought upon by diversity, and began to question his own views towards his national identity. This process of reconnection with Bulgaria ultimately culminated in his final major project, Exemplary Home. After graduating with First Class Honours from his university, and losing out on his degree show due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the photographer focused on promoting the project and gaining as much visibility for it as possible, earning himself placements in multiple online shows, print and digital publications, as well as awards from multiple prestigious photographic organisations, including the International Photography Awards and the BECA Photo Award. Grigorov will host his first solo exhibition at Ko Op, Sofia from 21.07.2021.