▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁Texas ▁Heart ▁Institute , ▁owned ▁and ▁deeply ▁appreciated ▁by ▁Mr . ▁Co ole y , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Georges ▁E c ly ' s ▁interest ▁towards ▁Mine kov ' s ▁art , ▁opened ▁the ▁doors ▁to ▁a ▁reward ing ▁international ▁art istic ▁career . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 3 - 9 4 ▁the ▁Har ada ▁Collection ▁in ▁Tokyo ▁commission ed ▁Ivan ▁Mine kov ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁portrait ▁of ▁Peter ▁Mich ail ov ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 0 , ▁Mine kov ' s ▁incl ination ▁towards ▁myth ology ▁and ▁history ▁brought ▁to ▁life ▁Dim itar ▁P es he v ' s ▁portrait , ▁hon oring ▁the ▁great ▁politician ▁for ▁saving ▁the ▁Bulgar ian ▁Jews ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁The ▁b ust ▁has ▁proud ly ▁found ▁its ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁Palace ▁of ▁Europe ▁in ▁Str as bourg . ▁ ▁Today ▁Mine kov ' s ▁works ▁are ▁owned ▁by ▁private ▁collect ors ▁throughout ▁Europe , ▁USA , ▁Israel ▁and ▁Japan . ▁In ▁the ▁last ▁few ▁years ▁the ▁artist ▁has ▁participated ▁in ▁two ▁exhib itions ▁in ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁( 2 0 0 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 7 ) ▁and ▁in ▁a ▁joint ▁exhibition ▁with ▁painter ▁Bran imir ▁T z akov ▁in ▁the ▁Se asons ▁Gallery ▁in ▁Sof ia ▁( 2 0 0 6 ). ▁He ▁has ▁also ▁completed ▁two ▁port ra its ▁commission ed ▁by ▁private ▁collect ors ▁from ▁New ▁York , ▁USA . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁Ivan ▁Mine kov ▁was ▁chosen