WINTER IS COMING

Among all the seasons, autumn seems to belong to the Bulgarian village naturally. During this time, the air becomes rich with fragrances - of warm hearths and charred wood, of lyutenitsa simmering on the stove, of roasting peppers, of singed feathers, and countless other scents wafting from the courtyards. This season marks the typical Balkan preparation for winter, a task the villagers undertake each year like a well-rehearsed performance, endlessly repeated yet never losing its significance.
It was around 2011, at that time of year, that this series (Eastern European Still Lifes with Roosters) was captured: a row of singed roosters, on their way to reach the final step of the village's economic cycle. These birds are meant to be displayed behind glass showcases to satisfy the daily calorie needs of an average household living by the Danube plain during the cold months. Or, to express it more poetically, less commercially and less shocking for vegans, they serve as a dose of summer, needed to help push through the winter. :)

September 2025, Sofia