An exhibition of paintings and ceramic works by Turkmen and foreign artists is currently on view at the Museum of Fine Arts ahead of the 25th anniversary of Turkmenistan’s neutrality. The Museum’s staff organized the joint exposition to highlight our country’s international status of neutrality.
Merdan Kakabaev’s painting “Ak Bugday” and Alexander Saurov’s painting “Songs and Cotton” are being exhibited next to “Armenia” by famous Armenian artist Martiros Saryan.The distinctive local color bathed in sunshine and crusty Turkmen flat bread warmly welcome a scenically beautiful Armenian landscape.
The ties of friendship between our nations grow stronger and stronger year after year, and Culture Days organized both in Turkmenistan and Armenia largely contribute to this.During the most recent visit, the artist donated valuable gifts to the Museum of Fine Arts.
Among them are the paintings “Armenia” and “Autumn” (with small amber crumbs).
Wonderful vessels and vases by People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Maral Ataeva, Charyyar Durdyev and Tair Ibragimov add charm and elegance to the festive exhibition. An oddly-shaped jug and figurines of Chinese noblemen perfectly blend in with ceramic works richly diverse in styles. They were gifted to the Museum by a delegation of Chinese artists.
Among paintings celebrating our country’s beauty and people living here, truly impressive is “The Mentor of Mentors” by Honored Art Worker of Turkmenistan Saparmammed Meredov. It portrays three musicians, bagshys, playing their dutars. Who are these musicians, and which of them is the mentor of mentors? We addressed these questions to the painter.
- The mentor is Karadeli Geklen, who is in the center.Shukur Bagshy is on the right and Amangeldy Gonibek is on the left, Saparmammed Meredovich explained.I began to explore the theme of these three musicians, when I was on a working trip to Karakala.
The locals told me that once there lived a renowned and incredibly skilled bagshy named Karadeli Geklen.His fame spread across Turkmenistan, and many bagshys came to Karakala from different places to meet the outstanding musician and seek professional advice and recommendations from him.
Among them were talented musicians Shukur Bagshy and Amangeldy Gonibek.
The idea for the group portrait came to me at once.However, it was not so easy to put it into action.The truth is that there was only a photograph of Shukur Bagshy, who was born in 1831, lived to the age of 100, long enough to see the invention of photography and to have his photograph taken.
Portrait painting was not common practice among Turkmens then; therefore, what the other two musicians looked like remained unknown.
But my desire to paint the musicians together was so fierce that I decided to create two canonical portraits. From a painter, I turned into an anthropologist. I found the musicians’ distant relatives, identified the anthropological facial type, and drew presumptive features on paper the musicians were most likely to have had.
By the way, our President’s book “Bagshys: The Heralds of National Happiness” features information on the distinguished musicians Shukur Bagshy and Amangeldy Gonibek.
In 2016, a Culture Center in Geokdepe hosted a conference devoted to the defenders of the Fortress of Geokdepe, and in particular, Amangeldy Gonibek.Not only was he an accomplished bagshy, but also a brave warrior.
The locals still tell stories about the legendary defender of Turkmen land.Amangeldy Gonibek was one year older than Shukur Bagshy, but he died in 1879, one year before his 50th birthday.
By then, I had already painted a portrait of Amangeldy Gonibek, and gifted it to the Geokdepe Museum.
After we have learned so many interesting facts about the painting, we looked at it in a quite different light, admiring the grandeur, talent, and courage of those portrayed in it.
At the same time, I thought that it was wonderful that the painting was a part of the exhibition celebrating our country’s neutrality.Since neutrality is the road to peace and sovereignty of every country in the world.