Going past “Spring Mood” by Izzat Klychev, one unintentionally slows down.The picture catches and holds one’s eyes by riot of colours, dance of bare tree branches and tangible feeling of the spring in the air.
And next time when you come to the museum, you are seeking for the pleasure from looking at the spring landscape created by the heart of the artist.Probably, this is the power of art, which harmonizes inner life of a human.
- Many people think that we were friends with Izzat Klychev, - Turkmen painter, Honoured Art Worker of Khakassia Berdyguly Amansakhatov tells.But it is wrong.The friendship means equality and how could I put myself of the same level with such titan as Izzat Klychev.
It wold be right to say that Izzat Nazarovich was an idol for me, Durdy Bayramov and Annadurdy Almamedov.And we tried to copy him in his manners, behaviour and the way dressed.
However, he was out of reach in everything.Izzat Klychev did not speak much and very quietly but any of his words hit the target.When I showed him mu new picture, everything what I had a doubt for weeks he explained compactly after the first look.
In physics laws, charged bodies attract. Something similar happens in people’s relations. Artistic energy and talent has a magic of attraction and the intellectuals like apinters, artisits, singers and poets used to gather together in Izzat Klychev’s studio.
The fact that Izzat Klychev is the greatest Turkmen painter is undoubted. The specialists testify that his works are distinguished by refined aesthetics and plastic manner of painting. People called hum an intellectual of painting.
Izzat klychev was born in 1923 in Yalkym village near Mary, his father Annaklych Suvhannazar was a priest and educator.He made Turkmen alphabet in Latin.Improvised studio of the artist in the Museum of Visual Arts has a life-sized portrait of the father of Izzat Klychev with his book “Harplyk” in his hands.
According to legend, Annakly Suvhannazar liked photographing.Photographing in the beginning of the XX century in Bayramaly village does not even cross one’s mind!According to the portray, Izzat Klychev received not only soft features, stateliness and height but also the intelligence.
In 1940, Izzat Klychev entered painting college in Ashgabat but the was started shortly and second grade student volunteered to fight against the fascists.Izzat Klychev did not like to speak about the war, he was very peaceful man and memories of the war horrors sickened him.
However, his awards the Red Star Order, the Order of Patriotic War Second Class and Medal of Honour, Medal of Warsaw Liberation, Medal of Berlin Capture and Medal of the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941 1945 expressively speak of the brave and courage of signal man Izzat Klychev who went up with Soviet Army troops to Berlin.
He did not speak much about the war but corresponded with his associates and one time made a trip along the places of his combat glory.He painted the portrays of the war veterans with pleasure.
Famous portray of People’s Writer of Turkmenistan Seyitniyaz Atayev is one of them.There is an image of young officer in military uniform with the medals on his chest behind the main character of the portray.
This is also Seyitniyaz Atayev but young and just returned home with victory.One of the details is very interesting this is the same Vienna chair, on which grown grey writer rests after decades.
The portray makes people think of what the author tried to say.Probably, he reminded to spectators that human life is short even comparing with household items and it is necessary to keep peace on the Earth.
We also heard interesting story from Izzat Klychev’s life.In 1947, he went from Moscow to Leningrad by train to enter I.E.Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture.
He hold the book of Lermontov in his hands, whose poetry he never left.His fellow traveller was also an admirer of the poet works and they easily found common subject for the conversation.
At the departure, the fellow travel gave him a note that said “If you have any problems with enrolment, called me on this number”.And the number itself.
Izzat Klychev did not used the sponsorship of occasional fellow traveller.The moment he showed his pictures to the exam commission, the issue of his enrolment was solved by itself.
The study at the institute was followed by participation in various including foreign exhibitions.Izzat Klychev is entirely national painter and, while studying on beautiful sample of Russian classical painting, he expanded his outlook and improved the skills without falling under the influence of modern trends.
Student Izzat Klychev recommended himself so good that he was invited to the Artist Union of the USSR.
After his graduation, he was teaching for one year at Turkmen State Art College. People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Durdy Bayramov recollects:
- One time.Izzat Nazarovich invited me, the student of the college, to his studio.I was conquered by his roses.It was the first time in my life when I saw the flowers in such performance, they seemed to be singing.
Izzat Nazarovich took such an angle that part of the flowers fell outside the frame and it gave compositional charm to the picture.As is known I am a portray painter from the student time but after visit to the studio of Izzat Nazarovich I got an addiction to the flowers and once a year allow myself to step out of portray theme and make flower period.
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For all his life, Izzat Klychev received numerous titles Honoured Art Worker of Turkmen SSR, Honoured Painter of Turkmen SSR, People’s Painter of Turkmenistan and People’s Painter of USSR.
In 1983, he was awarded with the title of the Hero of Socialist Labour.In 1988, Izzat Klychev was elected as an active member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR and become the first art academic in the Central Asia.
But, first of all, he was an artist and he cared not only of titles but of the opportunity to demonstrate his works and public recognition.
In 2000, he had his first exhibition in London.Its preparation was contingent with doubts on how English public, brought up on pop-art trends, would meet the works of Turkmen artist even a good one.
However, the public accepted oriental fairy tale of Izzat Klychevs, whose pictures are full of hot sun, with admiration.By the way, the artist told several times to his students that if there is a sun on the picture it have to give the warmth.
London exhibition proved that one can be a citizen of fogy Albion and stop inhaling mediaeval dust raised by the escort of the most common transport of those times the arba (“Khiva”).
Ancient city with minaret piercing the sky and blue dome of mosque, which city wall cannot hide from the looks, was famous around the region by its oriental bazaar.
People used to come there from everywhere, somebody to buy and someone to sell the goods.The clouds moving in the sky make feeling of momentary reality as if this are us who go home after the trade.
Probably, when the artist was creating this work he imagined himself as one of the participants of the event and conveyed the feeling of involvement to the spectator.
It is impossible to go by four beautiful Baluchi women who are absorbed in the favourite pleasure in the East tea drinking.Every woman has her own teapot people drink a lot there, spending their time over cup of tea.
Similar white headscarves cover the women like a cloud.Only bare suntanned feet are visible.There is something funny and something unnaturally natural in the picture what gives it special charm conveying the feeling of joy.
Red colour and its shades dominate almost in all works of Izzat Klychev. The artist achieves the brightness, vividness and expression in personification of the characters of his works by these colours.
The painter admires artistic skills of Turkmen women in his work “Magic Patterns” portraying ten young women and girls over the embroidery.Vivid picture reminds bright Turkmen carpet framed by national door decoration gapylyk and the embroiders looking like live carpet patterns harmonically merged into composition of handmade canvas.
Such similarity with the carpet was achieved by the painter using scarlet, red, orange and purple colours.
We can see association with the carpet in number of the works.For example, in the picture “ Turkemnistan is a Paradise Garden”.Neatly dressed boys and girls dance at the Harvest celebration, which is widely observed in the autumn in our country.
Unlimited spacing that increases the emotional message is traced in this picture.This is another inovations brought by Izzat Klychev to the painting.
Improvised studio of Izzat Klychev in the Museum of Visual Arts has huge canvas with unfinished work of the artist dedicated to Gyoktepe battle.Horse and soldiers mixed up in furious fight, cries, cursing, horse neigh and sabre-rattling are heard from all over.
The subject of life sounds piercingly in the incompleteness of this work, smear of the faces and uncertainty of the plot as if the artist intentionally stopped the time without waiting for the end of the battle.
They say that the pictures are better from the distance and after years we will speak again of the greatness of unordinary painter, whose works became a bright phenomenon in Turkmen culture.
The artist continues to live in our memory and in his works, each of which is a bright page of his biography integrated with the history of the country and destinies of contemporaries.