This December sees a very special event for professionals and art enthusiasts alike an exhibition of four painters, whose works have left visitors to an exhibition at the capital’s Expo Center totally amazed, impressed and mesmerized.
Students of the Academy of Arts, mentored by the painters, fellow painters and creative professionals performing artists, writers, journalists all those who are partial to painting came to visit the exhibition, which aroused great interest, despite the pandemic.
These four painters are People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Annadurdy Almammedov, Honored Artist of Turkmenistan Allamurat Mukhammedov, Azat Muradov and Hojamukhammet Churiev.After the first wave of visitors melted away and there were only individuals either paying a repeat visit or attending the exhibition at the recommendation of their acquaintances, we requested Honored Art Worker of Turkmenistan Azat Annaev that he comment on the unusual exhibition.
The exhibition is distinctly unusual, indeed, Azat Hudaiberdyevich admitted at once.The four painters, who are of different ages, have different individual styles, different visions and mindsets, had agreed in some way and created these fine works during the year.
Notably, they kept their preparations for the exhibition absolutely secret.No one, apart from me (only in the early stages of preparations) was allowed to pay visits to their workrooms.
And a year later, the outcomes of their work surpassed all the expectations.It is no secret that Annadurdy Almammedov is in love with mountains, especially the so-called Lunar Mountains, located not far from his home in Kizil-Arvat (presently Serdar).
Throughout his career, he has painted so many mountain landscapes that now there is a joke popular with artists: if somebody wants to paint the Lunar Mountains, they should receive Annadurdy Almammedov’s blessing, otherwise nothing will come out of it.
I was quite overtaken by his triptych “Moonlight Night”.Who could guess that these black and white landscapes were created by someone who is in his eighties!I would expect something like this from a young, bold artist who has come with an original idea of painting the lunar mountains at night.
And the two colors convey a laconic, but powerful message.The triptych depicts no moon, just its glow.At first sight, the mountains look the same; however a closer look reveals they are three different landscapes.
The light-hued mountains traversed with deep lines - “wrinkles” are associated with the painter’s face.The triptych can allegorically represent the artist’s life and be regarded as a self-portrait.
Like a mountain, Almammedov defies his age, is firmly established and has his personal voice in art.According to the rules specified by the organizers, the exhibition should only feature paintings that would be exhibited for the first time.
But an exception was made for Annadurdy Almammedov’s “Tribute to Nury Halmamedov”.The painting depicts a fountain of piano keys shooting upwards.Probably, our composer of genius would have experienced something similar deep down inside when inspiration struck.
The painter was able to vividly capture and powerfully convey the feelings in his avant-garde painting.At first, Annadurdy Almammedov worked as a theater production designer, and many of his sketches for theatrical productions are stored in the storerooms of the Museum of Fine Arts.
Later, he worked as a teacher at an art school.He is still now working at the Academy of Arts.Annadurdy Almammedov is a close associate of the following famous Turkmen artists: Izzat Klychev, Durdy Bayramov, Gulnazar Bekmuradov, Sajan Akmukhammedov, Stanislav Babikov, and Chary Amangeldyev.
By the way, he is a mentor of one of the artists participating in the exhibition Hojamukhammet Churiev.