THE ARTIST THAT PAINTS HIS HOMELAND

The Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, member of UNESCO’s Union of Artists, a full fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science, a laureate of the Son of the Fatherland Order, Dada Gorgud Award, an honorary academician of the Russian Imperial Academy of Arts, a laureate of the Leonardo da Vinci Medal, the Honor of Europe Order, the Grand Golden Knight Star, the Alexander Cross ‘For Merits’, the Order of Friendship, a holder of the title of ‘Man of the Millennium’, Academician of the European Academy of Natural Sciences. The list of prestigious awards of the Azerbaijani artist, Sakit Mammedov, can be continued In 2015, Sakit Mammadov was awarded the Officer's Cross of the internationally recognized union of knights, the Knights of the Order of Malta. And recently, the Noble Heraldic Academy of Vatican decided to award the distinguished Azerbaijani artist with a title of duke. The only artist awarded with this prestigious award so far is Salvador Dali. The award ceremony will take place at the beginning of December in a XII century castle in Vatican. 

- What do all these numerous awards and titles mean to you?

- I acknowledge them only as signs of respect to my work and to me personally. No more than that... They do not change anything for me. I will continue painting as I have been doing before. I think that the biggest and perhaps the most precious award that I have ever received is from the God Almighty. My artistic talent.

- One of your works, a portrait of the late Pope John Paul II, is kept in the Vatican Museum. Can you tell us the story behind this picture?

- Several years ago, I participated in the exhibition together with Italian artists in the famous Florentine art gallery, the most prestigious in the world. I was awarded a gold medal there. At the same time, the director of the gallery offered me to paint a portrait of John Paul II. Frankly, I did not expect such trust on the part of the Italians. Naturally, the Pope himself could not pose for a portrait due to his health and age. But the customers sent me a photo album of the Pope, shot at different times and angles. I have been working on this important order for nearly two months. The result is a portrait measuring 1.70 x 1.20 m. By the way, you can see the four sacred writings on the desk of John Paul II, Qur’an being on top of the rest, for it is the last sacred book sent down to human beings. When the portrait was complete, the Italians wanted to present it to the Pope on behalf of the Florentine Gallery, but I did not agree. Why the work made by an Azerbaijani artist should be presented on behalf of the Italians? I decided to wait and present it on behalf of my country. The portrait was presented to the Pope during the visit of President Ilham Aliyev to Vatican.

- One of your paintings also adorns the Windsor Castle, the residence of British monarchs. You are one of the few Azerbaijanis who had an opportunity to meet with Queen Elizabeth II. I wonder what you were talking about?

- We talked about the traditional Azerbaijani sports, chovgan, the precursor of modern polo. I presented Her Majesty my painting "Cıdır düzü" devoted to Karabakh. In this painting, I combined several symbols associated with our country: mountain flowers khary-bulbul (Ophrys caucasica), Karabakh horses and nightingales, chovgan, Khan's daughter sitting on a snow-white horse, and the proudly waving flag of Azerbaijan. The Queen has carefully reviewed the painting, and then asked if the group of riders were playing polo. Instead of five minutes pre-set for our meeting, we communicated almost half an hour. I told her in detail about the history of Karabakh, national costumes and musical instruments, the ancient Azerbaijani game chovgan, which is a kind of ancestor of polo. I also told Her Majesty that chovgan has been considered an aristocratic game since the ancient times and was held on a special field, where specially trained riders including some representatives of the Shah family, attended the event.

- Why did you choose this picture as a present to Her Majesty?

- I thought that making her portrait would be irrelevant: I doubt that a woman of her age (and at that time the Queen was ... years old) would want to see own wrinkles and gray hair on the canvas. I also excluded still-life and landscape paintings: England has a plenty of beautiful sceneries. I wanted to show Her Majesty something special, inherent only to our people. Then I made the ‘Cıdır düzü’ (thinking). You know, patriotism for me does not mean endless discussions on the Internet about Azerbaijan, waving flags at concerts, or even holding disputes whether Soso Pavliashvili should be allowed to give a concert in Baku or not. Patriotism is an active love for the country, which encourages us to act in order to make our country a better place to live and work. I strive to make sure that people living in other countries and almost unaware about Azerbaijan could get to know it better after seeing my pictures. During my exhibitions abroad, I was not just an artist for foreigners, I was representing Azerbaijan as a whole. Leaving the country, each of us should feel responsible. We are not just citizens of Azerbaijan in foreign countries. We are the representatives of our country, a symbol representing the entire nation of Azerbaijan.

- Tell us about your students. Are you a strict teacher?

 - I have ten students. I also teach to two of my sons. I try to choose only those who really have a talent from God, and, of course, the desire to draw. I never take students through good connections. I have singled out a studio for my apprentices, as well as all the necessary materials for drawing such as paints, canvases, brushes. All this is completely free. They are only required to have patience, an ability to listen, observe and take the lessons seriously. And, yes, I am quite a strict and demanding teacher. I think that if one undertakes an endeavor, he must make it perfect and flawless.

- What is the basis of your education methodology?

- I always tell them that they should know their own worth. I teach them to be ambitious, to learn anytime and anywhere, and to keep their heads high and be confident. Believe me, the times when innocence and naivety were appreciated have long passed away. I understood this twenty years ago, when I left for Turkey to look for a job. It was sophisticated and dashing 90s of the last century. The unemployment rates were high and we had to get out somehow to earn for living. I and a few young artists from Azerbaijan stumbled upon a gallery owner, who, after seeing our works, asked how much we wanted for the paintings. I remember how we, brought up in modesty and simplicity, murmured, leaving this question to him to answer. The sly gallery owner offered us a minimum price. After we left him, we found out that he sold our paintings for several times more expensive. It was then that I realized that one should not belittle himself, should not be a simpleton. Back in Baku, I swore to myself that I would become a famous artist, and one day meet the same gallery owner in Turkey. Years later, during one of my trips to Turkey, I re-visited the gallery. And you know what? The same gallery owner recognized me and invited me to exhibit in his gallery one of my works for a fantastic value (laughs). I believe that if you live in the ocean, you must be a shark, not a small fish only useable as a meal for other fish. I teach my students and my children that no matter where they are, they must be individuals, they should stand out from the surrounding crowd with their magnificent upbringing, education and good manners. They should behave like real lords (laughs). I do not understand and do not accept all of these proverbs that teach simple and unassuming. For example, the saying goes as "the cobbler should stick to his last." What for? Maybe we should make some effort to work and earn a lot more? Believe me, naiveté, simplicity and chastity may harm...

- In one of your interviews you talk about your childhood in Neftchala. Your father was an angler, and your mother was a housewife. But it was your neighbor who took you to drawing lessons.

- That is true. Our neighbor, uncle Goncha, was a cleaner at the local House of Pioneers. She often came to visit us and noticed that I was not bad in drawing. She asked permission from my father, and took me to the House of Pioneers (smiles). I have always visited this good woman during my every visit to Neftchala up until her death. She did not understand how much she did for me... "I just took you to a drawing circle. Is there something incredible in this?", she always wondered.

- You are the founding father of "opalism", which, incidentally, was first created and documented in Azerbaijan. Tell us about the features of this technique.

- One day, looking through one of the books about gemstones, I was impressed by opal, a dark, almost black stone, which combined thousands of different colors and shades from magenta to lavender. No wonder the word "opal" comes from the Latin "opalus", meaning "capable of fascinating the sight". Surprisingly, exactly the same color can be seen in all my paintings. That is how "opalism" was born as an artistic technique.

- Your works are exhibited at many art galleries, museums and private collections around the world. Do you feel sorry to part with these paintings?

- I consider my paintings as my daughters. One day they will have to leave home. We do not know that families they happen to be after the marriage, but we have to educate them so that we are not ashamed of them.

- There is a white grand piano that once belonged to the great Vagif Mustafazadeh, which now stands in the hall of your house-museum. We know that you love music and can play several musical instruments...

- You will not believe, but I have never played this piano. And no one did. After all, it was touched by great Vagif Mustafazadeh... One day his daughter, Aziza, came to the Museum. She almost burst into tears when she saw the piano. It turns out that Aziza had learned to play this piano when she was a child. I wanted to present the piano to her, but she refused. "It must stay in the museum, surrounded by your paintings. Indeed, each of your pictures emanates jazz", said Aziza. And recently, the autographs of famous people including artists, actors, filmmakers, architects and politicians from around the world appeared on a white grand piano. The famous artist, Tahir Salahov, who visit me once, suggested this idea to me. One day, when all the white surface of the piano will be filled with the signatures, I will give it to the National Museum of Arts of Azerbaijan. I am confident that this instrument will take its rightful place among the finest paintings and sculptures.