About Maya Tcholakova

Thanks for visiting my Portfolio

Born in Sofia.

Graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Sofia.

Since 1994 she is a part-time lecturer in the field of illustration in the Department of Art, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski".

She works as an illustrator, graphic and book designer, satirical painter. She has participated in a large range of national and representative exhibitions abroad dedicated to illustration and graphic satire, as well as international competitions for cartoons, graphic miniature, illustrations, and ex libris.

Until 1998 she has worked actively with leading Bulgarian editors and created illustrations for children’s books, manuals, magazines and book covers of classic and modern authors.

In 1996 she won first prize in the national competition for postage stamp design and began to design philatelic items.

In 1998 began working in the field of graphic satire and ex libris.

National and International prizes:

- Illustration - national prizes (1978,1979,1981,1990); “Golden Pen” - Serbia - 1992
- Graphic humor (Spain - 2005, Poland – 2007, China – 2009, Russia – 2010, 2012, Ukraine - 2011, Bulgaria – 2011, Turkey – 2013, Romania – 2014,2016,2021, South Korea - 2019, Kosovo -2019, North Macedonia - 2021); National prizes - 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019,2020. Maya Tcholakova was invited to join women cartoonists in exhibitions in Brazil and Italy.
- Ex Libris: Second Prize - Gliwice, Poland -2022, Second Prize - Istanbul, Turkey - 2018, Prize Excellent Ex Libris – Guangzhou, China - 2014, Honorable Mentions from International Ex Libris Competitions – Belgrade, Serbia - 2007, Ruse, Bulgaria - 2010, 2011, Contratalla (Tarragona), Spain - 2015, National Prize for small graphics - 2019. Maya Tcholakova is featured in the book Contemporary International Ex Libris Artists (Portugal, 2015).
Solo Exhibitions: Illustrations, Cartoons and Ex Libris – Sofia - 2011, 2012, Gabrovo - Cartoons - The House of Humor and Satire - 2016.