ÆGRI SOMNIA – DARKO BOGDANOV

Description

Title: Ægri Somnia

Publisher: Darko Bogdanov

Printed: 2020

Language: Macedonian

Author: Darko Bogdanov (drawings), Aleksandar Stevanov (story)

Pages: 48

Format: A4

Price: 230 denars

” Ægri Somnia” collects the comics from the previous collaboration of the authors Darko Bogdanov (drawings) and Aleksandar Stevanov (story) from 2012 to 2020. In this edition, which contains seven short stories, the main element that connects them is exactly as the title itself says (in free translation it would mean “nightmare”, and in the literal “dream of a sick man”), the dreamy sound of the reality of the characters themselves , which, although placed in different periods and realities (present, World War I, Balkan wars, or completely surreal times and spaces), experience their enlightenment in a completely oniric way, a violation of time and space, and for better or worse,  turns out on the surface the true essence of things, naked, and exposed. In a somewhat introspective way, we find out the human passions, desires and aspirations, the emotion and the personal lyric of each character in the stories, with which every reader can connect and recognize at least in a segment.

Darko Bogdanov was born on 04.04. 1984 in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia

Graduated from the Department of Graphics at the High School of Art “Lazar Lichenoski” in Skopje in 2003, and then also graduated from the Department of Graphics in 2007 at the National Academy of Fine Arts in Sofia,  Bulgaria in the class of Dimo ​​Kolibarov. He has been primarily engaged in drawing comics and illustration since 2000.

Published short comics in many comic magazines in the country and abroad, a regular participant with his comics at almost all Balkan comic festivals. Winner of 5 comic book awards so far, and author of 4 comic book albums – “Modus Vivendi” in 2011, “Dark Humor Silence” together with writer Jordan Kocevski in 2014, “Knights of the Neighborhood” again in collaboration with Jordan Kocevski, through the publisher “Comic Square” from Skopje in 2016, and in collaboration with Aleksandar Stevanov, “Ægri Somnia” at the very end of 2020. In 2018, together with Aleksandar Stevanov and Sasho Gachev, he co-authored the book “Macedonian Comics” in the editions of Novi Sad ‚Dnevnik ‘, dedicated to the Macedonian authors who worked for that Serbian publisher.

In 2008 he worked as a comic book artist for the Bulgarian comic book publisher “IEKK Comics” from Sofia, and in 2009 he worked for the film studio “NU IMAGE” also in Sofia as a storyboard artist for the films “The Expendables” and “Conan”.

He has four solo exhibitions and participated in many group exhibitions in Macedonia and abroad. Member of the Association of Fine Artists “UM” from Vinica, with which he regularly participates in joint projects and exhibitions. Also for two years in a row he is part of the organization team that organizes the art colony “St. Gjorgji ”which is held at the end of August in the Vinica village of Blatec.

Lives and works in Vinica, Macedonia.