ARTIST’S WORKSHOP IS IN HIS SOUL

It was raining outside. The weather was cold, cloudy and gloomy. That’s why we didn’t hesitate to step into the workshop of the famous Azerbaijani artist Intigam Aghayev, where one feels like on another planet: winter outside, summer inside. It’s where the sun rays are seeping through everything, even from the smallest things in the workshop. Paintings, canvases are full of joy and positive mood. Obviously, it’s not only the master’s paintings, but also his sincere smile and relaxing conversation that creates so much light and humorous environment that one doesn’t want to leave this warm and cosy place. But not everything is as simple as it seemed to be at first glance. Master Intigam became sad every time when we talked about war. His gaze became heavy, gravitating toward the unknown, for the artist was no stranger to the vices of war. Battlefield themes take a significant place in his works, on the canvases teeming with bitterness and deep sorrow. But Intigam does not enjoy touching this topic. In his memory, in the rear of the war, he is trying to protect and preserve the feelings dearest for his own self, like his grandmother’s tandyr, from which she used to take out freshly baked hot bread, carefree childhood, children’s scream, backgammon and the characteristic sound of zars (dices) –  all this vast Absheron and colourful Azerbaijan, which for centuries have been shaped by the hands of talented people. Works and personality of one of the brightest representatives of the Absheron artists are filled with optimism and the belief that life is beautiful and must be lived playfully, with humour and under the sunshine. Living by breathing life into every cell. And one of the integral parts of this wonderful life is a fresh, strong and fragrant glass of the samovar tea with a taste of black coals – that’s how we started our conversation with the master. Tea. Azerbaijani tradition. If you offer tea to a Georgian, he will ask you with bewilderment in his eyes: “Don’t you have wine?” But in Azerbaijan tea is an integral part of the culture of hospitality – it is served without asking. It turned out that Intigam can make tea as well as he can depict rich colours of life on his canvases.

Intigam-bey, your studio does not have a smell of creative disorder, as in other workshops...

(Laughs) That’s because you honoured my workshop with your visit. My family lives nearby. As soon as they learned about your visit, they cleaned it up right away. In fact, I was definitely against it as an artist. But, as you can see, nobody paid attention to my arguments (laughs). Chaos, which is pretty common here, is the true order for me. When you leave, I’ll have to look for my belongings. But, in general, of course, the artist's workshop is in his soul, where he can imagine and create.

I noticed that Baku is the leading theme of your works. Why?

Because I want to spread the word about the depicted area or objects through my paintings. I don’t create them for aesthetic pleasure only. For example, take a look at Icheri Sheher. If you examine the picture carefully, you can see that the city is situated on the seashore, while the mosques and the woman under the veil imply that you’re in a Muslim country. Now look at this pair going ahead: they are dressed in European clothes of the 18^th-19^th centuries, with hats and umbrellas. Although Baku was not the capital of Azerbaijan at that time, the city was interesting and attractive. You can also conclude that our people have always been distinguished by hospitality toward foreigners. On this painting, Məhəllə uşaqları (Backyard Mates), I depicted a Baku dance, which has elements and rhythm making it different from the dances of other regions of Azerbaijan. My paintings of Absheron are rich with sea shines and sunny colours. These are distinct pieces of information one can literally read from the canvas. I draw most of the pictures of Baku from a bird's eye view, from top to bottom.

Why do you chose this particular angle?

Perhaps because of my military background. When I was an officer, we used to work with different maps, where the terrain can be viewed from a height. That’s how we could determine the kind of terrain in front of us and behind the mountains. A good knowledge of topography implicitly takes me to visual arts, that’s how I began painting from a bird's eye view. This makes it possible to give the viewers a chance to feel the action. I’m going to hold an exhibition of these paintings. But I need more time to work. To be honest, I am not doing this for the sake of exhibition. I need it only to share my experience.

Your paint under the nickname of Asiman, which means sky. It is now clear why...

Yes, the nickname that I was given in the front.

What period in the history of Azerbaijan do you like portraying the most?

The period between the 60s and the 90s.

But we can also see modern buildings in your works, like the Heydar Aliyev Centre, Flame Towers...

Yes, I really like these buildings. If something is good, it should be praised accordingly. However, it is equally important to preserve old architectural style that makes our city more colourful and interesting. I think the transformation of Sovetskaya and Yasamal (neighbourhoods in Baku, R+) is a positive phenomenon. There was only one maternity clinic and a few houses clustered round each other at the Basin Street. There is a park there now. I also like how the facades of buildings are covered in white stone, as antique buildings. I like it indeed.

I guess you also like picturing Tbilisi. How different are the colours of the capitals of Georgia and Azerbaijan?

Completely different. If you look at my pictures, you can notice the same style but different colours: Absheron contains more yellow ocher, while Tbilisi is green with hues of red and orange.

How do you interpret the meaning of colours?

Colours convey the mood of an artist. Black can mean negative in one picture, but make you think in another! It will no longer appear gloomy and melancholic then. In Shusha, for example, I mostly used dark colours. Nevertheless, it does not have any negative energy. I also used black in the Caravan, but it is barely visible among the other colours. It all depends on matching colours.

Your works are literally teeming with bright and rich colours and well-chosen colour spectrum. They can amazingly cheer up and change the mood of anybody. Is it because you always draw when you are in a good mood?

Yes. I don’t touch the canvas when I’m sad. Maybe it sounds pathetic, but I don’t want to transfer negative energy to people through my work. On the contrary, I want people to watch my paintings smiling. Let them feel that life is beautiful. Also, when I feel sad, I can completely spoil the picture. I rather prefer waiting for the appropriate moment. Even when it is very difficult to be in the right mood. You can always see an image of sea almost in all my paintings, which symbolises infinity, independence, and freedom. Pictures is the mood of my soul. Almost all of them are in my heart.

Do you think art should educate and make people think?

I am told that I have no philosophical pictures. But I think that if a person lingers in front of a picture for even a minute, he is already thinking. This is the philosophy. But when they draw something incomprehensible and meaningless, catching up with a concept later, and then say that nobody can understand their works, it doesn’t look like a philosophy, does it?

Even the greatest discoveries were extremely simple and clear. That’s why I think that pictures should be accessible, open for comprehension. No need to reinvent the wheel, as all the wisest things have been made up well before us. I think my paintings are clear. For example, in one of my paintings I depicted the Sabail Fortress, with its ruins visible on the water surface. It is located next to the present-day Crystal Hall. This is information. If we go back to the Caravan, which I devoted to the eponymous symphony of Sultan Hajibayov, you will notice two-hump camels passing along the Silk Road. Arabian camels, for example, are single-hump. I give a clue, but it’s up to viewer to use it in order to read and understand the whole picture. As I noted above, my philosophy is history.

What places in Azerbaijan inspire you the most?

Our land is fertile in all senses. Azerbaijan is so diversely beautiful that it is very difficult to describe it. I had never seen light-purple or blue-purple colours on Absheron or even in Russia before I saw the paintings of Sattar Bahlulzadeh. Where did he take them? Later, I saw these colours and hues around Göygöl, and put them on canvas. I found out that they really existed. I once happened to visit Nakhchivan to take part at an international symposium. I must admit that I had always imagined this area as flat, desert and rocky as the Moon. But my visit has radically changed all my knowledge about this area. That was the reason to draw the famous and incredibly beautiful Batabat Lake.

Do you think of yourself as a member of the Absheron group of artists?

Yes, although many may disagree with me.

Do you do something to present your works at international level?

Nothing at all. Azerbaijani artists are very strong and talented. We have our say in world art. But we do not promote ourselves. We have a very competent young and adult generation of artists who have been graduated from such a strong school as the Azim Azimzade College. The world-famous Tahir Salahov is a graduate of this school. Today our masters are respected teachers in Turkey. Unfortunately, the art dealing business is underdeveloped in our country. We have to limit ourselves to domestic environment and make occasional visits to the near abroad.

Do you sell your works?

It is very difficult to create pieces for the soul and for sale simultaneously. Since 2007, I have been working seriously and very rarely sell my paintings. Please don't get me wrong, but my works are in great demand. Once I made a copy of one of my works for sale, which worked just great. Then I put it on social networks to get the opinion of fellow artists. I do this intentionally so that they can freely express their opinions. And they all said: "Intigam, this work is technically more beautiful, but we can feel your soul with the first one." So, it is very difficult for me to copy my works for sale. It feels like contradicting yourself.

You are also known for the portraits of prominent public figures such as Vagif Mustafazadeh and Chingiz Mustafayev. Do you plan to continue making portraits? Who is next?

I can name many. However, I do not work on the portrait genre. I portrayed Chingiz Mustafayev because he is close to me with his patriotism. Vagif Mustafazadeh was an outstanding composer and jazzman. He could combine jazz with mugham, which means he was a great and gifted person. Azerbaijan is proud of him. I just wanted to pay tribute to his legacy. For me, he is also a great patriot.

I think you too. You are a veteran of the Karabakh war. The topic of war is very painful for you. Can you tell us about one of your works, Shusha?

I was in Shusha in 1992. There were two roads leading to the city: from Lachin and Khankendi, behind the mountains. I draw the views of Shusha from Lachin. It was a inaccessible fortress standing on a cliff. This picture is taken from my memory. The beauty and flavours of that area was a masterpiece of the nature. Sometimes I think that there is no other place in the whole world like Shusha. We defended Shusha as long as we could, waiting for backup but to no avail (contemplating). That’s another story anyway, and I don’t want to talk about it. It is better not to touch these topics.

Has your military experience in Karabakh influenced you as an artist?

Absolutely! I have recently read a story about Professor Likhachev, who survived during the World War II. Fascists shoot all the children in his village, leaving 300 children dead after this merciless execution. But the professor could escape and survived. This story made me think. If one could survive the war, then he lives the life of those who couldn't. Therefore, he should live a decent life, which is worth the lives of the victims so that they can be proud of him. Boasting and bragging do no good in life. Such things do not enrich our life, but make it poorer. One should enjoy and love the life. Some artists draw the Day of Revelation or other negative phenomena, as if they have seen or experienced it… Believe me, if they did, they wouldn’t ever be willing to touch the brush. I would not for sure!