DESIRE. PATIENCE. MOTION

Maya Baghirova is a young Azerbaijani photographer, winner of two gold medals and the Jean Larivier Prize, and an employee of the internationally recognised photo agency Hans Lucas. Her works have been published in prestigious European publications. After graduating from the Uzeyir Hajibeyov Academy of Music in violin, she moved to her childhood dream city of Paris in 2016, where she studied at one of Europe's leading photography schools, Speos. In 2018, she was received a prestigious award from a competition organised by Paris Match.

Maya has photographed the French Fashion Week, life on the streets of Paris during the lockdown, trying to convey her personal understanding of life and the mystery of being there.

The year of 2021 marks a new stage in Maya’s professional career. During the 44 days of the Patriotic War, she was on the front line as a photojournalist.

The photo footage made during the war were later included in her book Karabakh published in four languages. The same photos have also been demonstrated at Maya’s personal exhibition Le Jardin Noir (The Black Garden) marking the first anniversary of the Patriotic War and our victory. Maya’s lenses have so far visited Aghdam, Fuzuli, the Khudaferin bridge, Zangilan and Jabrayil. Thirty years of looting, thirty years of atrocities, thirty years of pain.

Le Jardin Noir showcased 15 photographs depicting the gloomy state of Azerbaijani lands liberated from occupation.

"Can you tell us what you have decided to convey through your photographs? What was the impression of the French about Garabagh?"

"Photographs from war are sort of an evidence. My photos from Garabagh show what happened there during and after the war. I wanted to demonstrate what the Armenian occupiers had turned our lands into: endless ruins, destroyed houses with only stones left. Empty places where people used to live...

“Through my photographs, I could convey the pain and suffering the people who lived there had went through, permeated the land. These photographs, the current scenery of Garabagh, did not leave my visitors indifferent. You would hear how they called the ruined cities ‘a city of ghosts’. The French are emotional people, so they need to show everything through art. I don't know what they were expecting to see in my exhibition, but I am sure that they were moved deep inside. Visitors were in a melancholic mood, interested in events, and I certainly shared our story. Many of them wished they could visit Garabagh.

“By the way, my personal exhibition in Paris has been organised by the Azerbaijani diaspora in France.”

“How did the idea of visiting the liberated territories and organising an exhibition in Paris come about?”

“During the war, I was in a very depressed state, as were all the Azerbaijani people. There is an agency in Paris called Hans Lucas; I am a member of that agency as well. One day I saw that French photojournalists returning from Armenia were showing nothing but lies. I thought if they were showing such things, who would show the truth? So I decided to write to the agency. Hans Lucas, together with AFP, sent me a letter giving me permission to take pictures. Also the Azerbaijani Embassy in France helped me visit our lands during the war to cover the reality.”

“How did you feel when you saw the state of Aghdam, Fuzuli, Jabrayil and Zangilan with your own eyes?”

“My first visit to Fuzuli was in the last week of the war. We were at the front line. We could hear the sounds of bombs and gunshots from everywhere. I had mixed feelings and experiences... It was sad to see our lands in such a state. Suddenly, in the midst of this devastation, I noticed a butterfly fluttering about. It was in Fuzuli. Then I thought to myself that the happiness will definitely come to this place too! The word Aghdam means white roofs. I had only seen old images of Aghdam on TV, a city teeming with life, smiling people walking on the streets… But when I was there personally, I found myself face to face with the harsh reality. No rooftops, no life... There was absolutely nothing. Climbing to the top of the mosque, you can see the whole of Aghdam. It is a very touching picture.

“It is the same in Zangilan and Jabrayil. You look at all this and wonder Why? Why have we been treated like this? Why have our lands looked like a nightmare? But there are no answers to these questions. I have worked on this story for a year. Then I prepared for the exhibition and worked on my e-book Karabakh. At one point I felt all the pain of Garabagh transformed into my emotional state.”

"The world today is going through wars and conflicts. What is the role of photography during war. Can photos have any impact on the course of events?"

"Unfortunately, this is true. Photography is a memory that preserves history. For example, today we see destroyed houses in liberated lands, but tomorrow, when our cities are reconstructed, only photographs will remain as evidence of what happened."

"You have lived in Paris for a long time. How well is the French viewer aware of the Garabagh conflict?"

"There are many Armenians living in France, who have a varying degree of influence on the French opinion. The French mostly support them rather than us; they believe in lies rather than the truth. But we have to say our word and prove its truth."

"What kind of difficulties you have when presenting your works on a particular French platform?"

"The truth is that the French public does not perceive real events. There is too much false information in the media. After so many years, it was the first time that Le Monde wrote real facts about Garabagh. And my footage accompanied the published material."

"Reza Deghati is a French photographer of Iranian origin who has been photographing the Garabagh war for many years. Have you been in touch with him in terms of your joint business? Do you know him?"

"I met Mr. Deghati when I was 14 years old. I just started to take photographs at that time. He gave me his book and explained to me how to work with light, portraits, etc. All photographers have their own style, their own reality. Even though he and I are different in that respect, it was nice to see his stories in Garabagh after so many years."

"In 2019, you held an exhibition in Baku called Paris. Everyone perceives Paris differently. What is Paris like for you and how have you expressed your feelings in your works?"

"Paris was a childhood dream for me. My aunt has lived in Paris for a long time. I often heard French from her. It had always been a mystery to me. I wondered what they were talking about in such a beautiful language? After living in Paris for six years, I have realised that the city is indeed peculiar. It is a bit proud of itself. It is sometimes demanding. It likes keeping some of its stories to itself. My Paris was rainy. I was friends with crows and was taking pictures of life and people every day."

"Your photographs are mostly in black and white. In one of your interviews you said: ‘When I take colour photos, people see only colours and nothing else. When I take photos in black and white, people see the meaning and understand it; they want to reflect on them and think about the depth of meaning’. What about life: can you guess the meaning of life among so many colours?"

"Life is beautiful, whether in colour or monochrome. To guess the meaning, you have to live in harmony. You cannot be truly happy without tasting the difficulties of life. Without seeing colours, it is impossible to penetrate the meaning and depth of what is happening. Everything is interconnected. For years I have been thinking about meaning of life, and it turns out that everything is very simple - you have to live. To fulfil your dreams without fearing anything. Spread your wings and fly."

"Where did you get the idea of capturing parts of the whole and combine the living objects with the inanimate ones. What exactly do you want to express through this kind of technique or prism?"

"Non-living objects live thanks to the living ones. The living beings live, multiply, grow and feed; the non-living beings remain unchanged for years, centuries. But they are all closely related to each other. And their existence is impossible in isolation."

"How can you explain a photographer's skill... Through his looks, mindset, or something else?"

"It’s all about our desire, patience and motion."

"Is there a missed shot that you regret?"

"Our memory will always have such missed shots of life. A missed shot is like a symbol—it can help make many shots come true. Don't regret anything, life is too short for that (smiles)."