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Ivan Suvanjieff
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Biography
Ivan Suvanjieff was born in Michigan with a club foot. He has epilepsy. He thought you might like some details. He enjoys it when life interrupts art.
Ivan's family moved to Ontario for 10 years where he learned to speak the Queen's English and drink. Before he was out of high school, he worked on the Ford assembly line where he balanced and timed motors.
In the late 1970s, he fronted two punk bands, The Ramrods and The 27.
Ivan did time at Creem Magazine where he interviewed big rock stars such as Iggy Pop, and helped interview some guy from Rush. Ivan's favorite interview was with filmmaker John Waters.
He moved to Denver in 1985 where he worked at restaurants, book stores, etc. He had a severe drug and alcohol addiction.
He went to rehab before it was cool.
In 1986, he began working with watercolor.
In 1988, Ivan began painting in black and white. He spent 12 years painting in black and white so he could learn color.
He edited The New Censorship where he published Lucia Berlin, Charles Bukowski, Andrei Codrescu, Alex Katz, Anne Waldman, Allen Ginsberg, Kathy Acker, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Francesco Clemente, and many more.
The New Censorship cranked out over 50 issues.
In 1994, he and Dawn Gifford Engle invented PeaceJam, a program where Nobel Peace Laureates work directly with young people to help change the world. The program is 25 years old. PeaceJam has been nominated a myriad of times for the Nobel Peace Prize. Ivan and Dawn have been nominated 17 times by Nobel Peace Laureates.
He continued to paint in black and white.
Ivan and Dawn later moved to the far northeastern tip of the Costa Brava.
He began painting in color.
Coffee, giraffes, a cluster of cacti, that piece of broken glass on the street, a dirty t-shirt, cats...
Sincerely,
Detective Duane Eaton, Arvada P.D.
P.S. The Coen Brothers based 'The Dude' on Ivan's friend Jeff Dowd. "Don't bother telling your story," Jeff told Ivan, “no one would believe it."
2022 Annual Festival of Alternative Art, Yerevan, Armenia
2022 Digital Chroma Agency, Berlin, Germany
2021 “Quanta Dada" Solo Exhibition in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France
2021 Boomer Gallery, London, UK
2021 Art Nou-Millenni, Barcelona, Spain
1994 Mackey Gallery, Denver, Colorado
1993 Boulder Artists Gallery, Boulder, Colorado
1992 Boulder Artists Gallery, Boulder, Colorado
1991 Hassel Haeseler Gallery, Denver, Colorado
The Design Alliance, Denver, Colorado
The Baker Gallery, Loveland, Colorado
Pirate: a Contemporary Art Oasis, Denver, Colorado
ART PUBLICATIONS
Al Tiba9 Contemporary Art Magazine, “Interview Ivan Suvanjieff", February 2022
Artistonish Magazine, January 2022
NNC Gallery Magazine, “Challenge 21 Winners", January 2022
Le Petit Journal de Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferret, “Ivan Suvanjieff Dadaism Still Living…“, July 2021
Nice-Matin, “Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferret revisits Dadaism with Ivan Suvanjieff", June 2021
Royal Monaco, “Quanta Dada by Ivan Suvanjieff", June 2021
StarTribune, “Artist's First European Exhibition", May 2021
Daily Herald, “Quanta Dada par Ivan Suvanjieff", May 2021
Reach for the Sun, Charles Bukowski: “To Ivan Suvanjieff", 1999
Rocky Mountain News, Mary Voelz Chandler: “Review", 1994
Colorado Arts, Tom Auer: “The Road is All", 1994
The Denver Post, Maureen Harrington: “Ivan: High Priest of Hip", 1994
Hyperion Books, Andrei Codrescu: “Scholar: Coast to Coast…", 1993
Rocky Mountain News, Bill Husted: “NFR Iconoclast's View of Denver..", 1993
Bombay Gin, Cover Art, 1993
Rocky Mountain News, Marilyn Mason: “Ivan Suvanjieff Black & White", 1993
Colorado Arts, Tree Bernstein: “Looking for Sheer Poetry…", 1993
Rocky Mountain News, M.S. Mason: “Black Velvet Provokes Thought", 1993
Jcon', David Thomas: “Ivan Suvanjieff & The New Censorship", 1992
Photo District News, Janet Singleton: Stark Raving Art Party, 1990
Muse, Kathleen Cain: “Making Great Strides in Contemporary…", 1990
Colorado Home & Lifestyles, Valerie Hanis: “People to Watch", 1990
COLLECTIONS
Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat Museum
Elmore Leonard, Private Collection
Lucia Berlin, Private Collection
Andrei Codrescu, Private Collection
Jennifer and Edward Dorn, Private Collection
Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate, Private Collection
Jane and Anselm Hollo, Private Collection
EARLY ART CAREER
Black and White Series
AWARDS / DISTINCTIONS
2005-2021 Seventeen Nobel Peace Prize nominations by the Nobel Peace Laureates themselves
2005 Man of Peace Award, Awarded by Mikhail Gorbachev, World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates
2008 Harris Woffard Service-Learning Award, National Youth Leadership Council
2013 Servant Leader Award, National Youth Leadership Council
2015 Audience Award, Harlem International Film Festival, “Children of the Light"
Best Documentary Award, Great Lakes Christian Film Festival, “Children of the Light"
2016 Excellence in Social Innovation, Golden Globe Tiger Awards
Ambassadors of Peace, Westword Magazine
Award of Merit, Headline International Film Festival, “Adolfo Perez Esquivel: Rivers of Hope"
Best Documentary Award, Harlem International Film Festival, “Adolfo Perez Esquivel: Rivers of Hope"
Best Film, World Humanitarian Awards, “Adolfo Perez Esquivel: Rivers of Hope"
Humanitarian Award, ModCon London Film Festival, “Rigoberta Menchu: Daughter of the Maya"
Special Recognition, Imperial Valley Film Festival, “Rigoberta Menchu: Daughter of the Maya"
2017 Best Documentary, North Dakota Human Rights Film & Arts Festival, “Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired"
Best Documentary Award, London Independent Film Awards, “Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired"
Best Film Award, Mexico International Film Festival, “Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired"
2018 Audience Award, Film Girl Film Festival, “Betty Williams: Contagious Courage"
Best Documentary, Festigious International Film Festival, “Betty Williams: Contagious Couarge"
2019 Gold Winner, International Independent Film Awards, “Betty Williams: Contagious Courage"
Best Documentary Award, London Independent Film Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Award of Superiority, Microfilmmaker Magazine Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Nominee, Near Nazareth Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary, Picasso Einstein Buddha International Film Fest, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist“
Best of Fest, SNOB Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary, SNOB Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary, Spotlight Documentary Film Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Silver Award, Virgin Spring Cinefest, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist“
2020 Award of Excellence, Accolade Competition, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Festival Prize, Around International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Outstanding Achievement, Berlin Flash Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Award of Excellence, Cinema World Fest Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best of Show, Depth of Field International Film Competition, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best of Show, Dreamachine International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary, DRUK International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Feature Film Nominee, First-Time Filmmaker Sessions, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary, Five Continents International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist
Festival Award, Hollywood Women's Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Award of Excellence, Impact Docs Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Film, IndieFEST Film Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Honorary Mention, Lift-Off Global Network, London, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Gold Winner, Mindfield Film Festival Albuquerque, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Feature, Pickurflick Indie Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
2021 Best Documentary Award, Aiyan Film Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Award, The Prague International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Award, Indo Singapore International, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Feature Producer, Marina Independent Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Feature Film, Marina Independent Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Feature Documentary, Rome International Movie Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary, Pure Magic International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Feature Documentary, Best Istanbul Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary, Mokkho International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary, American Golden Picture International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Feature Film, Aiyan Film Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Historical Film, Brussels Capital Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Feature Documentary, White Unicorn International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Feature Film, Halicarnassus Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Science & Technology Film, Cannes World Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Film, Cannes World Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Educational Film, Cannes World Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Film, Calcutta International Cult Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Feature Film, ISMovieFest, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Film, Best Beyond the Curve Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best International Feature Film, Uruvatti International Film Festival, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Best Documentary Feature Film, Uruvatti Documentary Feature Film, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
Only the Best Award, OTB Only the Best Film Awards, “The Dalai Lama: Scientist"
2022 Finalist, Grey Cube Gallery Abstract Art Show
Winner, NNC, Challenge 21
FILMOGRAPHY:
TELEVISION
2003 BBC HARDtalk: Nobel Dialogue Part One, Associate Producer
BBC HARDtalk: Nobel Dialogue Part Two, Associate Producer
BBC HARDtalk: Jose Ramos Horta, Associate Producer
BBC HARDtalk: The Dalai Lama, Associate Producer
FEATURE FILMS
2003 PeaceJam, Executive Producer
2010 2012: The True Mayan Prophecy, Executive Producer, Cinematographer, Writer
2012 Mayan Renaissance, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
2014 Children of the Light, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
2015 Adolfo Perez Esquivel: Rivers of Hope, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
2016 Rigoberta Menchu: Daughter of the Maya, Executive Producer
2017 Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
2018 Betty Williams: Contagious Courage, Executive Producer
2019 The Dalai Lama: Scientist, Executive Producer
2022 Shirin Ebadi: Until We Are Free, Executive Producer
OTHER FILMS
1979 Face the 80s, Director & Cinematographer
2008 Joe Strummer: The Future is Unwritten, Cinematographer
2011 Jesus vs. Bono, Executive Producer, Director, Cinematographer, Writer
2014 Detroit Punks: John Brannon, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
2015 Detroit Punks: The Gories, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
Detroit Punks: Jerry Vile, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
Detroit Punks: Hiawatha Bailey, Executive Producer, Cinematographer
2019 Creem: America's Only Rock n Roll Magazine, Cinematographer
MUSIC
The Ramrods, Vocal Stylings
The 27, Vocal Stylings
PRESENTATIONS
2013 Social Innovation Summit, United Nations NYC
2015 Ted X Talk, The Netherlands
PUBLICATIONS
Creem Magazine, Associate Editor, Birmingham, Michigan
The New Censorship, Editor, Denver, Colorado
PeaceJam: A Billion Simple Acts of Peace, Author, Penguin Press 2008
ARTICLES
“Remembering Desmond Tutu, Superstar of PeaceJam", Westword Magazine, 2022
“My Last Restaurant Job: Cliff Young's", Westword Magazine, 2021
“Op-Ed: Epileptics, Please Raise Your Hands and Stand Together!", Westword Magazine, 2019
“Three Cheers for the Social Innovation Summit", Huffington Post, 2013
“Raw Power", The Stooges: The Authorized and Illustrated Story, 2009
“Iggy Pop: Solider of the Dog Chow Apocalypse", CREEM: America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine, 2007
TEACHING / NONPROFIT EXPERIENCE
1994 Beats and Other Rebel Angels: A Tribute to Allen Ginsberg, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado
1996 The PeaceJam Foundation, Founder, Denver, Colorado
OTHER
Worked on the line at Ford Motor Company
Thomas Video, World's First Video Rental Store
Maximus & Company Book Sellers, Birmingham, Michigan
Busboy & Valet, various fine dining establishments
Nationality
Artistic movements