Emilia Bayer

Who is Emilia Bayer?

Emilia Bayer, or Emilia N. Bayer was born May 5, 1934 in Sofia, Bulgaria. She studied sculpture and ceramic at the Akademy of Arts in Sofia. Since finishing the Akademy in 1964 she works as a free lance sculptor. At the beginning she also took commissions for works in applied graphics, book- and calligraphic design.

During 1973–1975 she designed her main work in Bulgaria – 250m² stone reliefs for the new building of the Theatre Sofia in Sofia. The subject was the development of play-acting in the history of mankind. This work of art is thought to be an exceptionally well turned out synthesis of architecture and sculpture.

In 1975 she moved to Berlin. In the following decade she took commissions for more than 10 larger-than-life sculptures in public parks and buildings. Her main work in Berlin – and also the beginning of the end – was the commission to design reliefs for the new building of the Friedrichstadt-Palace – the greatest varieté theatre in Europe. Of the originally planned 12 reliefs only six were destined to be realised, but at last only four came true. Afterwards due to the dissident actions of her husband she could not get other commissions; even contracts already given were foreclosed. She could no longer show her works at exhibitions.