An artist whose light shines from his brush

Just as the land of ancient and great Nakhchivan gave great geniuses to the history of science and statehood of our native Azerbaijan, it also enriched the cultural history of our people with its powerful artists and wrote new pages in that history. In our native Nakhchivan, as in all areas, there is great care and support in the field of culture. Nakhchivan artists also had a special contribution to the development of Azerbaijani culture, including the art of painting. It is no coincidence that the art of realist painting in Azerbaijan began with the talented son of Nakhchivan, Bahruz Kangarli. Huseyngulu Aliyev, People's Artist of Azerbaijan, a wonderful pedagogue, who established his own school in Nakhchivan in the 80s of the XX century, as well as in the XXI century, is one of the owners of the magic brush, which has a special place in the art of painting and sculpture in Azerbaijan.

The People's Artist has established himself as an artist, sculptor, master of decorative applied arts, and designer of clothing sketches in various fields of fine arts. Huseyngulu Aliyev's works have been demonstrated in our country and abroad - in exhibitions in Iran, Turkey, Georgia, Turkmenistan, Russia, Ukraine, Korea and gained great fame.

In world aesthetics, there is a theme called "Tree of Life". We encounter the same theme in the work of People's Artist Huseyngulu Aliyev. In the artist's "Tree of Life", the whole old and new world is revived in unity. At first glance, at the root of the whole painting is the trunk of an old tree with even fallen bark. In principle, this painting suggests to its audience that life goes on in its own way, and the new branches sprouting around the old tree are a sign of new life. Storks nesting in the top of the tree bring a special vitality to the painting. In general, everything is moving in this painting by Huseyngulu Aliyev. Parts are falling from the ward of the old tree. New branches coming out of the sides of the trunk are longing for the sky. Storks sheltered in this tree are preparing to fly. In the sky, the clouds are getting thinner and thicker.

One of the characteristic features of Huseyngulu Aliyev's art is that the artist is ahead of his time with his brush and colors. Although the subject of his portraits is mostly dedicated to the artist and his contemporaries, we are confronted with the period of life of the people whose portraits are portrayed in these paintings 20 or 30 years later. Of course, such a move requires a great deal of artistry. But this aspect has become commonplace in Huseyngulu Aliyev's art. For example, if we pay attention to the painting "The Way of Life", we will see that the babies portrayed in the portrait are no longer the grandchildren of the artist, but the result. Looking at those results, the People's Artist bravely managed to revive his 90-year-old appearance. In fact, this painting itself is in the genre of portraiture, and figuratively speaking, it can be called a "portrait of life."

As a master artist, sculptor-artist Huseyngulu Aliyev created monumental, monumental-decorative, decorative, as well as bust-portraits, bas-reliefs of various sizes, bas-relief panels, as well as many small-scale plastic sculptures in bench sculpture. Among the works of art of this Nakhchivan sculptor, there are valuable examples that reflect the history and natural landscapes of different regions of the Autonomous Republic, the unique beauty of the city of Nakhchivan. The choice of the individual components of the "Koroglu" statue, erected at the junction of the Nakhchivan-Ordubad highway to the east, in the Chanlibel neighborhood of Nakhchivan, down to the finest lines, also gives a full and detailed idea of ​​Huseyngulu Aliyev's sculptural characteristics. This magnificent "Koroglu" made of bronze can form an opinion about the identity of the hero of the Turkish saga to those who see it from the outside. The image of Koroglu, thrown at the enemy as a fearless commander, is also presented in the general composition of the statue. With a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, Koroglu's fiery gaze on Girat completes the function of an image that the younger generation can emulate at first sight.

The "Mother" monument in the Alley of Martyrs attracts attention due to its structure and design. This work contains a deep and meaningful feature of the artist's work. This work depicts the mother of a martyr who came to the grave of our heroic martyrs who did not give a single piece of Azerbaijani land to the enemy and was ready to die if necessary. This monumental sculpture reflects the sad, yet inflexible expression of the mothers of martyrs.

Huseyngulu Aliyev's own interior in the genres preferred as an artist 

the world also opens up. Thus, in the still life, thematic paintings, portraits, landscapes, plot compositions included in the works of the artist, we can clearly observe this.

In the world of colors, every artist has especially striking colors and shades. Many world-renowned artists have always been distinguished by their researchers for their propensity for both warm and cool colors. From this point of view, Huseyngulu Aliyev is no exception. The light of white, as well as the clarity of the mixture of white and other colors, is especially noticeable in his works. The artist himself admits that he loves white more, he is more attached to white. This is probably due to the humanism of seeing the world, the sky, people in a white day, wishing them good days. These feelings are also evident in the fact that Huseyngulu Aliyev gave the details he wanted to emphasize in the paintings on a light, white background, and transferred those motifs to the canvas in white.

The triptych "My Nakhchivan", "Snake Mountain" and others from the works of the artist in the genre of landscapes fascinate the audience with their realism.

One of Huseyngulu Aliyev's valuable works in the portrait genre is the overcoat portrait of the great romantic Azerbaijani poet, playwright Huseyn Javid. Here, as mentioned above, the front pages of white books attract attention. The artist also refers to the protagonist's writing. In the portrait, Hussein Javid's thoughtful face, the glasses he took from his eyes in one hand, and the restlessness of the other hand firmly pressed to the bench are visible at first glance. In this way, the artist was able to express not only a moment of the poet, who was a victim of repression, but also the general characteristics of his fate - the tension, the anxiety.

Huseyngulu Aliyev also works as a theater-decor artist, designer of costume sketches. Huseyngulu Aliyev, who worked as the chief artist of the Nakhchivan State Musical Drama Theater from 1989 to 2019. gave stage design for the performances. Huseyngulu Aliyev, who was awarded the honorary title of People's Artist of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2002, currently works as a professor at the Department of Fine Arts, Nakhchivan State University, Faculty of Arts.

His students also have their say in art, successfully confirming the knowledge and skills they have learned from their teachers. People's Artist Huseyngulu Aliyev, who created examples of patriotism related to the historical destiny of Azerbaijan, the period of independence, became a master and teacher of a new generation of artists in Nakhchivan, a versatile creative artist and sculptor, defined his line in theatrical painting. We wish you success on the way. May the hands of the Creator always be there!

Togrul Jafarli

Email: ToghrulJafarli777@gmail.com

Teacher of "Fine Arts" department of Nakhchivan State University