Art must inhabit a dreamlike place, beyond sensory barriers. Our perception of art enters through the senses, the eyes, the ears…but its understanding resides in the heart, not in the intellect. The function of art is to open doors to a place outside our experience, a place where beauty reigns.

It was with this premise, and the dream of promoting an art of conscience that transcended fashions, trends or regional politics, that the Michael Dunev Gallery was founded in 1982 in San Francisco, California. An old etching press inherited from a friend prompted in 1991 the founding of Aurobora Press, a fine art laboratory dedicated to the monotype that produced extraordinary work by invited artists in a sylvan garden studio. Two years later, with the addition of a partner, the press relocated to the old Natoma Street Fire Station behind the recently opened SFMoMA building. Over the years, as the demand for space evolved, the gallery had a presence in various locations in the City until the turn of the century, when I closed the gallery, sold my interest in the press, and relocated to Spain, opening a centre for contemporary art in the mediaeval town of Torroella de Montgrí.

For the next eighteen years Michael Dunev Art Projects presented regular exhibitions of Spanish and International Contemporary Art, hosted artist residencies by invitation, and offered a comprehensive art advisory service whilst earning a lasting reputation for showing outstanding works by mid-career and established artists.

In September 2017 I closed the gallery, ending thus an extraordinary journey. The chance to work at doing what I love best has been enriching beyond description and I am glad to have made a modest contribution to the cultural tapestry of our community. It has been an honour to count amongst my closest friends many of those artists with whom I’ve worked during all these years and I owe a debt of gratitude to those passionate collectors whose acquisitions have kept the gallery going and whose friendship I shall forever cherish.