Do you remember what you wanted to become as a child?
As clichéd as it may sound, I wanted to become a designer. I was aware from a young age that this is an interesting creative profession in which objects are invented. To me, this sounded almost magical and something very important and responsible.
Why did you start out in sculpture?
When I started taking drawing lessons as a kid, one day I had to copy the plaster cast of Donatello's head. My teacher was pleased by the result and insisted I study sculpture. My years at the Academy were nurturing and gave me the foundations of a professional approach to the discipline.
© Kalin Tsolov
Who influenced you the most in your formative years?
Krum Damianov, a colossal figure of Bulgarian sculpture with landmark projects in Bulgaria and around the world, who generously shared his exceptional analytical intellect. Also my father Boris Achkov, one of the pioneers of Bulgarian design in the 1960s and 1970s.
How do you approach a project?
Quite often I develop an idea in a whole series. Then I prepare a 1:5 scale model from corrugated cardboard, before moving on to accurate computer drawings, followed by the cutting and sampling of prototype pieces. I try to attain a final product by the second or third prototype.