A DIVINE GIFT FOR HARMONY

There was a hum in the gallery which almost blocked out the piped music. This was the visitors to the "Magic Dreams" exhibition of works by Eldar Babazada, discussing his work without hiding their emotions. Four good-looking young people were particularly displaying their feelings and spending a long time in front of each work, analysing the technique and composition. From their conversation which you couldn't help hearing they were would-be artists. A small group of people next to them were talking about the artist's parents. An elderly woman confidently uttered the words "It must be in his genes! His parents were artists too." Another woman objected: "Talent is not inherited genetically. This is a gift of God!" 

On the magic of creativity

Eldar Babazada has been a member of Azerbaijan's Union of Artists since 1997. He has had three personal exhibitions in his career and exhibited his works at numerous other exhibitions. The artist's works adorn private collections in many countries. Among his counterparts he enjoys a reputation for being modest and composed. It is said that he has an independent character, but does not experience a need to be a leader and does not tolerate people lording it over him. Thanks to his composure and creative independence, he is able to reach a compromise with those around him. But when subjected to any kind of stress from outside, his external composure and placidity turn into firmness and strength of character.

His works cast a spell with their purity of dynamic vibrations, with their view of people and life, with the depth of their metaphorical idea and with the attitude to the everyday process referred to as "Life". In one of the leaflets from a solo exhibition abroad the genre of his own individual style is defined as Viennese modernism. This is probably from the point of view of Europeans, who are not very discriminating when it comes to the traditions of the Azerbaijani miniature. 

But in Babazada this is most likely a continuation of the traditions which are being interpreted in keeping with the contemporary rhythms of life, in the modern symbolism, which the author takes pleasure in using extensively.

"The strings of fate"

In the centre there is the figure of Man (on the left) and Woman (on the right). Her searching look is trained on the Man. He is holding a pomegranate in his open palm. This is an ancient eastern symbol for the sun, the bearer of vital energy, fertility, abundance, rebirth and immortality, sensitivity, love and marriage. Behind her is the illuminated head of a totem animal. It appears to be a bull. Perhaps it symbolises a sanctuary for the Woman. The ancient Turks [Gokturks] used to build temples in honour of the god Tengri and hang the heads of sacrificed animals up on the boughs of trees. What is this Woman ready to bring to her loved one as a sacrifice? You see, he is concealing his true face, like his feelings, behind a mask. Is he the player and is he the victim?

He wants love and trust, but is he afraid to trust and love? Behind him there is the knight chess piece. This is the only piece in the game of chess that can jump over other pieces. At the same time, the knight is represented by a horse, which is among all the peoples of the world a symbol of vital strength, faithfulness and indomitable freedom, a combination of blind force and focussed spirit. Behind the right shoulder there is a stork which promises new life and good luck and stands for a strong attachment. What is the Man attached to? Is it to the Woman? Is it the habit of playing with life and in life? His anxious spirit in the form of a little tiny bird on his right shoulder is pointing towards the Woman. His hands are tugging as they usually do at the strings of an obediently submissive female figure: the puppet Woman is absolutely oblivious to the suffering of the man who has fallen to his knees. Only the dog which is sadly gazing at this game being played by people appears to understand more than the players themselves

"Melody of spring"

.A splendid youth is holding a fish as if he were holding a saz. Inside it there is a whole town with semi-spherical domes and flat roofs. It seems as if he is selflessly teasing the enchanting sounds of a splendid love melody out of it. A crowd of women are standing behind him, possibly his kith and kin. The fish's tail (consider it the sound-board of the instrument) lies between the figure of a semi-naked sitting girl and the skull of a sacrificed totem animal, which is also a bull. Pomegranates have been placed around the feet of the beauty. Here the theme of creative and deliberately purposeful female strength arises. The youth sees all of that from under his half-closed eyelids and he likes it very much. But behind him stand the women of the family calling upon him to be sensible. 

On his right shoulder sits a dragon-fly, the symbol of easiness and frivolity. It is the personification of immortality and rebirth, just as our feelings die and are reborn. Generally, an insect is the symbol of man's short stay on Earth. And strange as it may seem, it is the symbol of the salvation of the soul. The dragon-fly appears to be between two worlds. The rapid movement of its little wings remind man of the rapid passing of time, while their shining play of colour recalls the magical times of the past and helps him to recognise that only visible reality exists in the world. Aware of the movement of its wings, the youth is probably thinking that it is not worth transforming rapidly passing life into cheerless reality. All the more so since the town inside the fish promises him a comfortable and happy life.

"The return"

In the foreground there is a Girl, from whose palm a white dove is flying away. A little bird with bright-coloured feathers is swinging on the tip of her fantastical hat with its triangular metal frame. The Girl's hat looks like an ingenious tower. She has a light white scarf round her neck. A whole town, Icari Sahar [Old Town], rises behind the figure of the Girl. Beyond it there is the sky and the conventional line of the horizon barely visible. This is a method which is not characteristic of classical miniature depictions, but successfully used by the artist in many of his works. 

In the symbolism of all cultures, ranging from ancient ones to the present day, the white dove is regarded as a good bird bringing good luck to those in love. It is the messenger of Venus. In fairy stories we often come across the assertion that those who understand the language of the birds manage to discover important pieces of knowledge and gain the ability to turn into birds as well. The Girl is not a bird. But her soul, like that of the bird, in soaring upwards over the town, is returning its own love to it, to the amazing, splendid town, to the town which forms her free, light and loving soul. This is because love is a great force, the idea and joy of everyday life.

On impressions

His works have produced the impression of an absolutely harmonious merging of the artist's inner "ego" and the world. Only a person who is completely without ambition could paint such works. But are there really people in the art world like that? This is a kind of rhetorical question. Did he like the process of testing himself psychologically by "creating" a portrait of someone without knowing them at all? The subjects of his works point to the fact that he only believes in what he has got to know and experienced in life himself. He has his own opinion about everything. He is an excellent judge of people, but also has a tendency to idealise them. He lives, content with ordinary material incomes and simple pleasures.

He values the world that he has created, his family, his children and his profession. He does not elbow his way through his colleagues in an attempt to gain honours, awards and glory. He lives according to the principle of "not asking the strong in the world for anything". Although, as someone who is keeping the traditions of the national miniature genre going, he is worthy of all kinds of regalia and titles. The meaning of life is creativity, creativity, creativity. The artist needs a sensation of harmony, like any mortal moreover. Only artists need more of it, because they forge what appears to be an invisible link between us, mere mortals, and the higher revelation, possibly the Absolute. They do it without thinking about it, but simply offering the outcome of their own thoughts transformed into artistic images.

On his background

His father was Marif Babayev, a well-known Azerbaijani Soviet sculptor. To begin with he sought to find himself in sport and was even successful, becoming a master in freestyle wrestling and republican champion in 1957. He was a rebel by nature. So, it is not surprising that he then unexpectedly abandoned sport and became a student at the Baku State Academy of Arts. But he always retained his love of and interest in sport and sportspeople. In his future professional activity it was sportsmen who became the object of the sculptor's passions. But then he began to seek his rebellious essence in fine art. The pictures were strong, almost full of cosmic energy. Unfortunately, his life was cut short early.

Eldar Babazada's mother was a well-known ceramics artist, Aziza Aliyeva. She graduated from the [Latvian] Riga Academy of Arts and worked in small plastic arts. The period when she was studying coincided with the birth of her son, but this did in no way prevented the young woman from studying and bringing up her child. Naturally, the child had grandmothers who could look after him while his mother was studying, but at that time it was customary for new-borns to be cared for by their mothers, and Marif and Aziza believed that they should bring their son up themselves, which is what they did. When the boy grew up a bit and wanted to study at the Nakhimov Naval Academy, dreaming of becoming a captain on a naval cruiser, to begin with they did not object. Eldar even studied there for a while. But then either his mother could not bear being parted from him or both parents, once they had thought about it, decided that a career in the military was not right for their son. So, fact remains fact: they took Eldar out of the institute with the words that it was better to create a dynasty of artists than of career military men. From that time on, he began to master what was for him a new role with different skills, becoming a little apprentice, learning to combine paints and mix clays. At the same time, he learnt to observe and re-interpret the essence of his parents' profession. Then the day came when he himself wanted to make something out of clay with his own hands. The parents encouraged him in this desire and supported him in every way they could when he enrolled as a student at Art School No. 84 (in the settlement of Stepan Razin) and when he became a student in the faculty of graphic art at Azerbaijan's Nasraddin Tusi State Pedagogical University. Incidentally, the sister of Eldar Kamal Babayev is also an artist.

Concluding remarks

It is impossible to comment on or analyse all Eldar Babazada's works. This would not be right. It is right to look at them, to analyse them, think about them and compare them. Or not to think about them at all, but just to absorb them as artworks, becoming charged with his positive energy and love of life. Just as he does, an artist from the Town of winds, fanciful buildings, scorching hot roofs and asphalt, legends and traditions, mugam and ancient customs. He is part of its great soul. 

- What do you dream of, Eldar?

He looked at me in surprise and replied as if he was uttering a simple truth that everyone understood except me:

-I dream of ordinary things, like everyone else. Simply to live, simply to love, to love and enjoy what you are doing in life, glad that I came into this life. To see my children and my near ones and dear ones healthy and happy. I want my children to have the opportunity to do what they like doing most. Then they will be happy. As you see there is nothing original about me.

He said this and smiled as if he wanted to apologise for not amazing me with some kind of unusual reply. He was mistaken, for in actual fact he did surprise me. He amazed me that he is not demanding anything of life. He is not offended by anyone nor is he making any claims on anyone. The most important thing for him is that harmony should be present in everything, both in life and in his works. It would appear that there does not have to be that much of it, but it is rarely realisable. In his case, it can be realised. He himself boasts harmony of thoughts, harmony in what he does and how he acts.