Musculus Memoria

Musculus Memoria/ Мускулна памет

mixed technique- pencil, gold Schminke oil, charcoal and acrylic on 300lb Fabriano Artistico paper. Size: 56 x 73 cm
framed size: 62 x 83 cm

2022, Anton Terziev

Photo: © the artist
Courtesy of the artist

Title credit: Svetoslav Todorov - journalist, editor and writer

Part of NTFL series (2019-)
Featured in New Social Poetry mag, issue 33, 03.2022, ISSN 2603-543X
Featured in National Exhibition "Drawing and Small Sculpture" / 2025, UBA - Shipka 6, Sofia

Foto material used: Gabriele Andiulli's photo from Toronto Pro Super Show 2016. Gabriele Andriulli (IFBB Pro Wheelchair) is behind Glory Be painting and those sketches

(Ref to Hidden Games VII painting)

This powerful drawing by Anton Terziev captures the remarkable strength and determination of Gabriele Andriulli, a Paralympic Pro Wheelchair bodybuilder. The artwork focuses on the athlete's muscular form, with particular attention given to the tension and detail in the outstretched arm, showcasing the intricate definition of the muscles. Terziev’s use of mixed techniques, including pencil, charcoal, gold Schminke oil, and acrylic on 300lb Fabriano Artistico paper, adds depth and texture to the piece, creating a striking interplay between light and shadow.

The subtle use of warm tones, combined with the meticulous shading, highlights the powerful physique and intense focus of the subject. The dynamic composition, with Andriulli's arm reaching forward, conveys both strength and perseverance. The textured lines and smooth gradients bring a sense of movement, capturing the essence of the subject's dedication and the raw power of the human form. The background, while muted, subtly reinforces the figure’s presence, enhancing the emphasis on the bodybuilder's expression and posture. This piece reflects both the physical and emotional endurance required in the world of adaptive sports, making it a profound tribute to the athlete's journey and resilience.

People Have Paid To See Me I’m Yet to Pay for My Sins / Хората са платили, за да ме видят, а аз още изплащам греховете си

(1966: Austrian-born bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger points one hand out on Muscle Beach, Santa Monica, California)

acrylic, Schminke silver oil, charcoal and lumograph black pencil on 50% cotton Fabriano Rosaspina paper

Size: 19.5 x 35 cm, Anton Terziev, 2023
Framed size: 30 x 40 cm
Title credit: Svetoslav Todorov - journalist, editor and writer

Courtesy of the artist
Photo: © the artist

Part of No Time For Losers series of drawings, paintings and objects (2019-)

Terziev’s stark charcoal-and-gouache close-up of Schwarzenegger’s 1966 Muscle Beach gesture looks, out of context, like a menacing Nazi salute—its heavy blacks and blinding whites reducing an invitational point to a brutal command. Yet that sinister echo evaporates once you see the sunlit crowds, laughter and muscle-bound camaraderie that gave the arm its true meaning. This drawing is a brutal reminder: isolate an image and you’ll twist its message. Always demand the full picture—social, historical and emotional—before you dare to judge.

People Have Paid To See Me I’m Yet to Pay for My Sins / Хората са платили, за да ме видят, а аз още изплащам греховете си

(2013: Athens midfielder Giorgos Katidis has been banned from playing for the Greek national team for life after he gave a Nazi salute while celebrating a goal in a Greek league match)

acrylic, pale gold, charcoal and lumograph black pencil on 50% cotton Fabriano Rosaspina paper

Size: 30.5 x 17 cm, Anton Terziev, 2023
Title credit: Svetoslav Todorov - journalist, editor and writer. Collaborating since 2019

Part of No Time For Losers series of drawings, paintings and objects (2019-)

Anton Terziev’s People Have Paid To See Me I’m Yet to Pay for My Sins distills a moment of shocking controversy into a stark, symbolic gesture. Executed in black, white, and gold tones, the raised hand—echoing the infamous Nazi salute by a Greek footballer in 2013—forces viewers to confront the uneasy intersection of public adoration and moral culpability. Part of Terziev’s No Time For Losers series, the piece challenges the culture of spectacle that so readily overlooks ethical boundaries in favor of sensational performance. Through its minimal yet potent imagery, Terziev highlights both the allure of athletic prowess and the heavy, often delayed price of moral reckoning.