About Ivailo Stanev
Decades of experience. Global publications. Singular aesthetic.
IVAILO STANEV
Photographer based in Valencia, Spain
Ivailo Stanev is a photographer whose career spans over 25 years and bridges the worlds of fashion, documentary, and conceptual photography. Originally from Bulgaria and now based in Valencia, Spain, he has developed a distinct visual language rooted in experience and artistic precision.
His photography has been featured in leading international publications, including Esquire, Playboy, Maxim, Harper’s Bazaar, Men’s Health, FHM, Elegance, OK! Magazine, Dali Magazine, Biograph, among others. He held long-term collaborations with the Bulgarian editions of Playboy and Maxim, with selected work appearing in international issues across Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, Australia, and Greece. From 2014 to 2019, he worked as a photo editor and photographer for Esquire Bulgaria.
In 2005, he founded the largest commercial photography studio in Bulgaria. In 2009, he became the first Bulgarian photographer featured by the international fashion channel Fashion TV. In 2017, he was selected through a global competition to participate in Magnum Photos’ “Swap Shop” exhibition in London, held in celebration of the agency’s 70th anniversary. That same year, he was named an Olympus Master, with his work showcased at Olympus Masters Europe in Prague.
In 2023, art paper brand Hahnemühle invited him to present one of his works—“Jesús Duque-Requena, 2019”—at Photopia Hamburg, an international photography event.
Throughout his career, Ivailo’s work has consistently explored the human presence in photography. Whether creating commissioned images or personal projects, the human figure is central to his artistic vision. His portfolio includes over 45 solo and group exhibitions in Sofia, Valencia, London, Prague, Berlin, and Hamburg, presented in collaboration with galleries, cultural institutions, and photography salons.
LONGSTANDING WORK WITH LEADING MAGAZINES
EXHIBITIONS
2025
- “FILM NOIR: Femme & Flame” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
2024
- “RED POINT” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
- “FACE 2 FACE” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
2023
- “HAHNEMÜHLE FINEART COLLECTION” – Group Exhibition, Photopia, Hamburg
2022
- “THE FIAP CLUB WORLD CUP” – Group Exhibition
2020
- “THE COLOUR OF THE STREET” – Solo Exhibition, Monochrome Hub Gallery, Valencia
- “144 000 MINUTES” – Group Exhibition, Monochrome Hub Gallery, Valencia
2019
- “RED SEA” – Solo Exhibition, Monochrome Hub Gallery, Valencia
- “E#MOTION-LA PLAYA” – Solo Exhibition, Monochrome Hub Gallery, Valencia
- “ROJO-TROZOS DE PASION” – Group Exhibition, Monochrome Hub Gallery, Valencia
- “6 INTERNATIONAL PHOTO SALÓN” – Group Exhibition, Plovdiv
2018
- “E#MOTION-LA CALLE” – Solo Exhibition, Valencia
- “FIAP PHOTO SALOON, PHOTOVACATION” – Group Exhibition, MMC Primorsko
- “OLYMPUS MASTERS 2018” – Group Exhibition, Prague
- “FOR ONE GOOD”, EVA – Group Exhibition, Oborishte 5 Gallery and Hall, Sofia
2017
- “MAGNUM SWAP SHOP” – Group Exhibition, London
2016
- “ST. PETERSBURG” – Group Exhibition, Pressphoto Club, Sofia
- “FORUM ADVERTISING PHOTOGRAPHY” – Group Exhibition, Expo Center, Sofia
2015
- “RED CARPET” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
- “RED FASHION” – Solo Exhibition, MMC Primorsko
2009
- “BALKAN PHOTOGRAPHY FORUM – IN FRONT OF ME” – Group Exhibition, Varna
- “REFLECTION” – Solo Exhibition, Ramada, Sofia
2008
- “BALKAN PHOTOGRAPHY FORUM – IN FRONT OF ME” – Group Exhibition, Gallery Varosha, Lovech
- “SPORT 1” – Presentation, Blagoevgrad and Sofia
- “ABSOLUT-FORM” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
- “BALKAN PHOTOGRAPHY FORUM – IN FRONT OF ME” – Group Exhibition, Veliko Tarnovo
2007
- “LIKE A LANDSCAPE” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
- “THE 100 PHOTOS OF 2007” – Group Exhibition, Gallery “Seasons”, Sofia
- “BODYGRAPHIA INTERNATIONAL PLEIN AIR NUDE PHOTOGRAPHY” – Group Exhibition, Veliko Tarnovo
- “THE SPIRIT OF VIENNA” – “BALKAN AUTHORS PRESENT EUROPE” – Solo Exhibition, Gallery “Prof. Teofan Sokerov” – Lovech
- “TETEVEN – AROUND YOU” – Solo Exhibition, Gallery “Prof. Teofan Sokerov” – Lovech, City Gallery Teteven
- “BALKAN PHOTOGRAPHY FORUM – IN FRONT OF ME” – Group Exhibition, Sofia
2006
- “PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR – “BULGARIA 2005”” – Group Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Sofia
- “ABOUT THE FORMS” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
- “IN PARTS” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
2005
- “PHOTOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR – “BULGARIA 2004”” – Group Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Sofia
- “THE NAKED BODY” – Group Exhibition, Gallery Paris, Sofia
- “MY WORLD” – Group Exhibition, National Palace of Culture, Sofia
- “FROM THE STREET II” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
- “THE PEOPLE” – Group Exhibition, Beijing
2004
- “19 FACES” – Solo Exhibition, City Gallery Teteven
- “RED GIRLS” – Posters, Solo Exhibition, Sofia
- “EVERYTHING IS LOVE” – Group Exhibition, National Palace of Culture, Sofia
- “EVERYTHING IS LOVE” – Solo Exhibition, City Gallery Teteven
2003
- “DOUBLE MISTAKE” – Collaboration with Daniela Kostova, Group Exhibition, Skopje; Berlin
- “FROM THE STREET” – Solo Exhibition, Sofia
2002
- “12 PHOTOGRAPHS” – “Irida” Gallery, Sofia
- “DOUBLE MISTAKE” – Collaboration with Daniela Kostova, Group Exhibition, Sofia
2001
- “NIGHT LIFE” – Solo Exhibition, Club “Chervilo”, Sofia