Afət Ziyadqızı
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva and their daughters Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva visited a retrospective exhibition titled “My Absheron: Add” at the National Museum of Art of Azerbaijan on October 27. The exhibition is dedicated to the 80th birthday of prominent artist and chairman of the Azerbaijan Artists’ Union, People's Artist Farhad Khalilov.
“Operative Information Center-OMM” reports that the exhibition, organized jointly by the Ministry of Culture, the National Museum of Art of Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijan Artists’ Union, features more than 90 works selected from the People's Artist's personal collection. The works span the 1960s to the present and include pieces ranging from monumental paintings to small-format graphic works.
Farhad Khalilov, a prominent figure in Azerbaijani visual art, is known for his rich body of work, distinctive artistic style and individual approach. Working across genres of easel painting, he has combined different artistic approaches, from realism to avant-garde and abstract art. His works stand out for their varied means of artistic expression, distinctive use of color and tonal composition, and the emotional impact of the spaces depicted.
Landscape painting, especially the theme of Absheron, occupies an important place in the artist's work. In pieces inspired by his personal observations and impressions, Absheron's nature, coastal views, villages, changing weather and distinctive atmosphere are expressed through his individual artistic interpretation of color, light and tone.
In Khalilov's work, Absheron is not merely a subject to be depicted, but one of the central themes through which he conveys his emotions, thoughts and view of the world. His works capture not only the visual features of a place but also the feelings it evokes.
Alongside painting, graphic art also holds a special place in the People's Artist's work. Created in different formats and through varied artistic approaches, his graphic works demonstrate the breadth of his creative range and his exploration of form and composition. The exhibition shows how the Absheron theme has evolved over time in his work and what it has come to mean in his individual artistic language.
