Originally from Bulgaria, and the child of a stone mason, Minchev schooled himself in sculpture by looking at the historic works throughout Veliko Tarnovo during the period of totalitarianism in the country. In fact, he believes his origins have a fundamental impact on his work: "I come from the Balkans, a zone dominated by a traditional culture which is tied very closely to its religion and the primordial forces of the natural environment." This experience gave him a sensibility palpable in his work today: "It gave me my first taste of the importance and resilience of sculpture's lasting nature in the face of the temporality of human existence." Minchev's works recall organic forms such as those shaped by currents of wind and water throughout nature and reflect a profound understanding of geometry and equilibrium, both formally and in the natural world.