THE GANCA FIVE

This edition is devoted to five artists from Ganca - Rza Mammadov, Xalida Safarova, Gennadiy Brizhatuk, Fazil Aliyev [1947-1993 - tr.] and Gorkhmaz Suzhaddinov. An exhibition of these artists' works opened at Xalq Bank's Ganca office a few days ago to coincide with the presentation of the book. 

Xalq Bank has been running the "Xalq Amanaty" project since 2010. Its aim is to publish high quality albums on the life and works of well-known artists in Azerbaijan, books by prominent writers as well as academic works on important phenomena relating to national culture. 

The aim of the Xalq Amanaty" project is to preserve the cultural heritage and spiritual values of the people of Azerbaijan and pass it on to future generations, as well as making it accessible to other cultures worldwide. The books which have been published in Azeri, English and Russian are being donated to establishments of higher and secondary education, orphanages and libraries, state institutions, foreign missions in Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan's embassies and consulates abroad and presented as a gift to connoisseurs of culture in our country.

The Ganca area has always produced a wealth of talented artists. But, in selecting the five most suitable artists for their future album, the authors of the project were most probably swayed by such considerations as the artist's popularity beyond his home town and sometimes even his country, the originality of his work in spite of the customary art-related constraints and also by his or her life-long consistent pursuit of the dictates of their talent. In this sense, these artists, born and bred in and around Ganca are, may be regarded as a team, in spite of the fact that their lives did not always bring them together. 

Xalida Safarova  is a lyrical artist. Like almost all the natives of Ganca, no matter whether they artists or not, paid tribute to the creative work of her [12th-century] fellow countryman, Nizami Gancavi. Right from her student years to the end of her artistic career she drew on the characters from his works. She also loved France. When she had the opportunity to visit that country, she traced the development of the great impressionists and reflected that in her works. Finally, this amazing woman painted sports subjects, something which is quite unusual for women and appears to be a symbol of the triumph of women's equality in art.

Gennadiy Brizhatuk is an artist whose career and art were rather complicated. A clear-thinking, vibrant, optimistic and enigmatic person, he was also elusive and unpredictable like his paintings. In his time he rebelled against the canons of socialist realism, never conforming to them, but taking his own path. This journey was a fairly lonesome one. A lauder of the beauty of nature and female beauty, the artist painted innumerable pictures depicting roses of the boldest hues in bloom, fabrics decorated with the "white horses" of the Caspian's waves and earthly beauties casting ethereal glances. Brizhatuk became one of the remarkable figures in Azerbaijan's art in his time.

Qorxmaz Sucaddinov is an artist, who did not wander far from his roots. He invariably created decorative works primarily in his hometown, toiling assiduously and persistently, with a vivid imagination. Unlike painters or draughtsmen, for him as a monumentalist sculptor, the difference between painting and design was the aura of the location where his work was to be set up. As a rule, such works do not lend themselves to being moved around, but take a long time to become a regular element at the site. The distinctive air emanating from his hometown nurtured Sudzhaddinov's work, ranging from the huge ensemble of the Nizami mausoleum to the portrait of the legendary ruler of Ganca, Cavad Khan. That sculptor has left his very own mark on Azerbaijan's capital. Suffice it to say that he was one of the creators of the "Bahram Qur slaying the dragon" sculpture which decorates the fountain near the funicular.

Rza Mammadov is an artist who was visited by several muses simultaneously , including Thalia, one of the three graces, and Melpomene, the muse of singing and later of tragedy. The scenery he painted  basically forms the history of the Ganca Drama Theatre. As a set designer and producer, he staged more than 100 productions, not only in Ganja, but in other towns and cities as well. He also painted a number of murals as he was a splendid decorative artist. He did not produce many paintings. He loved the theatre more than anything else and devoted almost all his time to it. Rza Mammadov's sets were not just part of the scenery on stage, but were monuments of his time, both in their style and subject. They reflected the artist's intent, searching view of the world.

Fazil Aliyev is one of the tragic figures in Azerbaijan's 20th century art. The rebel, nicknamed the "Centaur" by his friends, strove indefatigably towards his goal of pursuing the dictates of his soul and not satisfying the demands of socialist realism's exacting tenets. Many people were aware of his efforts, ranging from his teachers in "Repinism" [the art of the somewhat conformist Russian artist Ilya Repin] and at times brought upon himself severe criticism. But, in spite of all this, he achieved a great deal in life. He did many things for his hometown, both as an artist and an art-related official. He was not fated to live long, but he lived life to the full as would befit a centaur. It is a very great pity that so few of his works have survived, but this makes each of them all the more valuable.

The album contains reproductions and photographs of works by the five artists, collected together from private collections, galleries and museums. These works, as well as a number of other works by these five prominent figures can be seen at the exhibition in Ganca.