Contemporary Uzbek artists
Uzbekistan has a large number of talented artists, some of whom are little known outside of the country. But their work has created a new chapter in Uzbek contemporary art and contributed to the formation of new artistic techniques and styles. Here, we take a look at the works of four talented artists of Uzbekistan: Babur Mukhamedov, Dilorom Mamedova, Javlon Umarbekov, Shakhnoz Abdullaeva and Maksim Vardanyan.
By Sabina Odinayeva
Babur Mukhamedov
One of Uzbekistan's most talented contemporary artists, Babur Mukhamedov has held exhibitions around the world, including Moscow, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Miami, Paris and, of course, Tashkent. His work has been listed among the 100 best works of art in the National Bank Gallery's collection.
Babur Mukhamedov's abstract paintings capture fleeting movements and moments that happen at the artist’s subconscious level. The works capture a sense of colour, rhythm, texture, technique and brushstrokes.
Most of Mukhamedov’s works are in private collections and galleries in the US, Canada, Russia, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Switzerland, Austria, Argentina, Yugoslavia, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador, Turkey, Mexico, India, Egypt, Latvia, Finland, Denmark, China, Israel, New Zealand and other countries.
Instagram: @attracting
Dilorom Mamedova
Dilorom Mamedova is a special member of the creative association of artists of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan. Her paintings immerse the viewer in the ordinary days of the country's inhabitants and convey a warm sense of Uzbek reality.
Mamedova's painting creates a wonderful world where there is neither sadness nor gloom. Her paintings make life look like a holiday through tremendous light, air and bright colours. Dedicated to the nature of Uzbekistan, most of her favourite subjects are the beauty of her native land, its culture and traditions. She finds inspiration in the everyday: shadows playing against a street corner, a pile of Uzbek bread, autumn landscapes or a steaming kazan of plov.
Her works have been exhibited internationally in Miami, Dubai, Bangkok and several cities in China.
Her works are kept in the collections of the State Art Museum of Uzbekistan, the Nikor Museum in Moscow, as well as in private collections in Germany, the US, Switzerland, England, Japan, Russia, Turkey, India, Australia and Israel.
Instagram: @dilorom_mamedova
Jamol Usmanov
Jamol Usmanov masterfully creates installations, video art and paintings. His work is abstract and avant-garde yet carries profound philosophical insights pointing to the ethnic traditions and values of the Uzbek nation. In his recent works, Usmanov has drawn to attention the contemporary issues of humanity. His particular way of viewing the world and alternative treatment of everyday situations creates compelling reflections.
His works have been shown internationally, including at the Davidson Gallery in Seattle, Zaman Gallery in London, National Museum of Morocco, New Art of Uzbekistan exhibition in Bonn, and Transformation International Exhibition at the Contemporary Art Center in Geneva. In 1999, Usmanov was awarded the title "Tashkent Painter of the Year".
Today his works are kept and exhibited in museums in Uzbekistan, the US, England, Germany, the Netherlands, France and Switzerland, as well as in private collections.
Web: jamolusmanov.blogspot.com
Bobur Ismoilov
“I don't paint from nature", says Bobur Ismoilov. "I don't copy reality. Creating a painting for me is a deeper process than the materialisation of thoughts.”
The artist's imagery is rooted in symbolism and his paintings are distinguished by their use of allusions and paradoxical combinations of forms. The viewer may get the impression that there is no meaning in the vanity of objects; instead, their meaning is so deep, complex and synthesised that it escapes simple logical analysis.
Since 1993, Ismoilov has been a regular participant in international and national exhibitions, including in Tashkent, at Alexander Cadan Gallery, Central House of Arts in Moscow, at La Comedy Theatre, at the Raspail Studio and at the BourseDelaCommerce exhibition hall in Paris, among many others.
Ismoilov’s works are housed at the State Museum of Art of Uzbekistan, the Fine Arts Gallery of Uzbekistan, the Van Gogh Museum (France), the International ART Ltd Gallery (US) and elsewhere.
Instagram: @bobur_ism
Maxime Vardanian
Maxime Vardanian creates large-scale paintings that immerse the viewer in a space of artistic irrationality.
Vardanian’s creative path began in Uzbekistan and has since taken him through Russia, Poland and France. He has worked on signature projects with the design houses Kenzo and Ventilo, and collaborated with photographer Paolo Roversi in the creative association Black Donkey.
A bright and distinctive master of the brush, Vardanian has been particularly successful with his portraitures and works of still life. In 2018, popular Moscow magazine Novaya Yunost printed a special book on Vardanian’s work, The Artist and the Model.
Vardanian also collects fabrics from different countries, but is mainly inspired by Uzbek fabrics and considers Uzbek weavers as Rembrandts in their craft. In his works, one can see the recurring patterns of Uzbek fabrics. Vardanian's paintings can be seen in museums in Russia, France, Belgium, Germany, the US and Japan.
Shakhnoz Abdullaeva
Shakhnoz Abdullaeva is considered a follower and apprentice e of the famous artist Chingiz Akhmarov. A feminist artist, through her work, Abdullaeva tries to define the meaning of women in different realities, building a special balance between her reflections and cultural memory. Across her work, female images are placed in repetitive positions of gestures, figures, regal plasticity and astonishing completeness.
Shakhnoz Abdullaeva’s work has been exhibited around the world, including in Sofia, London, Bonn, St Petersburg, Cairo, Beijing, Zurich and Doha. She has also been awarded the Shukhrat state medal.
Her works can be found in the collections of the State Art Museum of Uzbekistan, the Urgench Art Gallery, the Senate of Uzbekistan, the National Bank Gallery of Uzbekistan, the World Bank collection (Washington D.C.), the Zaman Gallery (Lebanon), the Embassy of Japan and in private collections in Morocco, Lebanon, Finland, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the UK and India.
Instagram: @shakhnazart
