GRAND TAPESTRY THEORY

Tapestry has a long and glorious history that dates back to the Middle Ages, when only royals and nobles could afford the magnificent and huge canvases that were then called trellises. Even though they were mainly used to cover rough stone walls and keep the rooms warm, tapestries still retain a sense of elitism and prestige.

For Azerbaijan, tapestry culture is relatively new. But anyone who wants to master the delicate art of tapestry making needs to have a certain set of skills and qualities. This is evident in the works of Tamilla ABDULLAYEVA, who deserves to be called an artist, a master, and a creator. She is a creative and spiritual person, who has a keen sense of beauty and a constant quest for perfection in form and composition. She combines two different but related types of decorative and applied art with great freedom and skill. She has worked as a designer at the Azerbaijan State Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts and Carpet and had a personal exhibition.

They say that the road to creating a true masterpiece is often painfully hard. And maybe, in the fast-paced flow of life, you suddenly manage to create the best thing you have ever dreamed of. But Abdullayeva's talent, enriched by her rich inner world, is reflected in everything she creates. And today she is especially happy to share her knowledge and passion with her students...

"How did it all start?"

"I became interested in tapestries in the 1960s and 1970s, when it was a new trend in Azerbaijan. It mostly attracted amateurs and self-taught artists. Many of them went to Poland, the Baltic States, Georgia for training courses... I studied in Tbilisi with the famous Georgian artist Givi Kandareli. He was the founder of tapestry schools in Georgia and China, and he taught me the nuances of this art. In Baku, I also completed a course of a carpet artist. So you could say that in my destiny - mine alone - two kinds of applied art, different and yet harmonious in their essence, came together. My love for them fills my heart and delights my soul."

"But the history of modern tapestry is also quite young, isn't it?"

"Yes, it was only at the beginning of the twentieth century that a revolutionary idea emerged from the tapestry reformer Jean Lurçat. He suggested to stop reproducing copies of paintings and let each artist express their own artistic vision. This made tapestry a separate genre of art. After all, trellises with their large scale were no longer needed, as people preferred smaller sizes. This idea seemed to favour "natural selection". As Lurçat said, if an artist does not weave his own work, but gives it to someone else, he gets a co-author. Which is not necessarily a bad thing. But from my experience I know that even the most skilled master weaver cannot follow a sketch exactly. While an artist can even change something while the tapestry is on the loom."

"Why did you choose tapestry?"

"First of all, because I love it. Secondly, because I make it myself. The aspect of authorship is very important to me. I don't like to share it, even with the most experienced weaver."

"When you create an original work with your own hands, you leave a part of yourself in it…"

"A piece of myself and my feelings in every work I create, trying to balance the national traditions and the modern trends. I try to use the national traditions as a source of inspiration, but I also bring a modern touch to them. To do that, you have to study the sources! That's why I don't agree with some fashionable calls to abandon the academic school. Only the basics can give you an impulse to develop your own style. That's why studying the classics like Saxsıda gülləri is essential for anyone who wants to make a name for themselves by self-education through search and realization. That will become a part of their artistic identity."

"So, tapestry begins with a drawing, which implies a canvas."

"Yes, canvas is still a vital element of a tapestry master's work. Not only do students have to submit painting projects throughout their studies, but the teachers also have to present one painting each year. I submitted tapestries a couple of times, but then I decided to stick with canvas and acrylics. This format is very appealing to me and I would probably dedicate myself to it. If only I had more free time."

"The first step is always finding a story..."

"Mostly I get ideas for my stories from nature. She is the best artist of all. 'Butterflies', 'Flowers', 'Four Seasons' are based on themes that echo our famous carpets of the same name. I also made a tapestry dedicated to the holiday of Novruz with its four çərşənbə (Tuesdays): fire, earth, water and wind. Another tapestry is about musical instruments. And of course, I couldn't ignore the Garabagh theme..."

"How are themes born?"

"Out of the blue! I just had this idea to make a composition with fishes as it was so intriguing. That's how Xəzərin was born. The themes are suggested by the most unexpected moments. Shadow, the play of light, ornament, music, words... Tapestry is the same as canvas - just an easel in the form of a loom, and the colors as threads."

"Abstraction or artistic meaning?"

"I don't deny the importance of artistic meaning. That's why I try to create tapestries that are more oriented towards themes that are in demand in the mainstream. For example, in the work 'Revival of Garabagh', I used only graphic motifs, you can see the rain, colour lines turning into the sunrise. This is a solution that fits well with the trends of real forms."

"Do you always have a dialogue with your works?"

"Fortunately, I never had any conflict. After all, just as you can reach an agreement with a person, you can also find a common language with an artwork. Admittedly, they have the ability to talk at exhibitions, in museums and galleries. It is true that sometimes I had to postpone my approaches. But that was because of some problems outside the realm of art, which affected my inner mood, which didn't predispose me to engage in a dialogue with the emerging tapestry. I remember how during the pandemic, despite the general information and social pressure, I felt such a surge of energy! Even the military events of the Second Garabagh War of that time gave me a strong impulse. Some tapestries were woven without any sketches, in one breath. As a result, I made so many works that it was enough for a full-fledged personal exhibition."

"What does being a teacher give you?"

"I worked at the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan and at the same time I started teaching at the Baku College of Management and Technology. After a while, I also got involved in teaching students at the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts. I enjoy working with students. Even when some of them don't show much interest in the educational process. But without false modesty I can say that even with minimal talent my students create worthy diploma works. The rest is up to them."

"You don't seem to be too lenient with your students. Why is that?"

"Because they will always be my students, in a way. They are also my calling card, as a tapestry artist. I'm proud to say that one of my graduates already teaches at the Azim Azimzade Art School, two of them work at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum, two more are school teachers, and two work at Azerkhalcha. That makes me happy."

"Is talent necessary to succeed in this field?"

"Absolutely. But you also need to have the desire and the willpower, along with patience and endurance, to show and develop your talent. Those who have these qualities continue their professional path. Those who don't love their work, even if they have talent, should be honest with themselves. True art does not accept compromises, it has a timeless immunity. It gives the final judgment, either leaving you in history or sending you to the sidelines."

"But you started creating your first works when you're still a student..."

"Yes, and in March, my students will start working on their diploma theses. I have seven of them, and another teacher has six. I don't pay much attention to the others, which is natural, but my diploma students will be weaving with me. Because a diploma work is a student's passport, which will be kept at the university. And who knows, maybe years later it will be the one that will shape your future reputation. That's what happened to me, when I was hired at the university, the rector remembered me by my diploma carpet."

"How interested are today's students in tapestry?"

"I can see the joy of my students when they do their term papers, which can vary in quality. And when they are also productive, I can't miss the sparkle in their eyes. It means they feel something, they care. But they also face some uncertainties about their future. If before there was an art fund accessible throughout the entirety of the USSR, today it is hard for tapestry masters to anticipate personal demand. I know it from myself. I have a lot of tapestries of my own in my archive, but hardly anyone is interested in them. But customised works are not less artistic. That's why students after graduation rarely continue to work on tapestries. Only a few passionate artists who are devoted to this beautiful art. One of my former students is now a training master, working with me."

"So, you can see the potential in the first few stitches..."

"Our task is to help students as they weave their diploma tapestries. And it is during this period that you can see how their skills have improved. After all, the works are quite large in size, and this is an opportunity to demonstrate everything that they have learned during the whole learning process. And the diploma holders stay at the university. This is their 'final exit', in which they are approved and make the first step into the big life - the first serious creative work. And if the coursework is done on a specific assigned topic, then here the students-graduates act as full-fledged artists: from the sketch to the last stitch. They contribute themselves as authors."

"An artist's accent language is the colour palette. Do you have any favourites?"

"I can't single out any. If you look at my sketches, you will see the diversity of the color palette. My teacher for five years was Latif Karimov. One day he brought five photographs with ornaments to the lesson. All the images were in black and white. And when he offered us to choose, he named one of them Bağçada güllər, and I immediately reacted. When I saw my choice, I was shocked by the colour of this Garabagh carpet. I almost declined and asked for permission to make my own version. After all, I was already a professional artist and I always tried to make a perfect sketch. Then I heard from the master in his unique conversational style: - Nə istəyirsən, elə (do whatever you wish)! He liked my version of Bağçada güllər very much."

"Azerbaijani land is a treasure trove for artists..."

"Talented people have lived in Azerbaijan for centuries. Even without formal education, carpet weaving masters created real masterpieces! They also borrowed ornaments or color solutions from some unusual objects. For example, the Bağçada güllər suggested by Latif Karimov was an attempt to imitate the Palekh painting, probably from some tray that one of the masters saw. The real value of that carpet lies in its age, but it is also part of our history of carpet weaving. It shows how Azerbaijani culture reinterpreted and assimilated the culture of other nations. The tapestry art of Azerbaijani authors is also an example of this. Our tapestry masters, including some of my students, are like followers of Lurçat's ideas. They have managed to harmoniously blend medieval European narrative style and oriental elegance of our national ornaments. They have revealed a new cultural symbiosis to the world."