A group exhibition of student works opened at the gallery of the State Academy of Arts of Turkmenistan. Two students from the sculpture department and three from the painting department took part in the exhibition, presenting more than 100 works. Some of the pieces by these authors are already well known to visitors, as they are part of the Academy’s Golden Collection.
Among these works are two busts, including one of the famous vocalist and People’s Artist of Turkmenistan, Atajan Berdiyev, and one of the artist himself, Serdar Jumayev. In addition to sculpture, Serdar Jumayev is seriously interested in pop singing and takes vocal lessons from Atajan Berdiyev. For this exhibition, Serdar sculpted a bust of his sculpture teacher, People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Babasary Annamyradov, with a huge apple. It should be noted that apples are a kind of trademark for the renowned sculptor. Serdar prepared the piece as a surprise for his teacher and worked on the bust entirely from memory.
“When I saw the bust with the apple at the exhibition, I was very surprised: ‘Who is this – me?’” Babasary Annamyradov shared his impressions. “For the first few seconds, I could not decide whether to scold the student for such an unexpected surprise or, on the contrary, praise him. But the congratulations from students and teachers surrounding me made the decision for me: I praised the talented student.”
The painting “Music of Peace, Music of Friendship,” presented by Jumamurat Gurbanov, occupied the central part of the exhibition. Bright and full of people, it depicted a festive public celebration in the new city of Arkadag. The painting served as the backdrop for the official opening ceremony of the student exhibition. Jumamurat Gurbanov is also the author of the painting “Portrait of a Teacher,” featuring the luminary of Turkmen painting, People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Annadurdy Almamedov. Credit must be given to Jumamurat for his honest approach to the portrait, without embellishing his teacher’s appearance in the slightest. Before us stands the image of a man who devoted his entire conscious life to art and to his many students.
“This exhibition means a great deal to us,” commented Jumamurat Gurbanov. “We reassess our works and observe the reactions of viewers. The exhibition helps us develop creatively and find our own artistic style.”
Arzuv Atayev’s painting “Who’s First!” earned an honored place in the Academy’s Golden Collection as one of the best student works. Arzuv portrayed cyclists before an important competition, when each athlete is preoccupied with a single question: “Who’s first?” Arzuv is also the author of such works as “Portrait of My Father,” “Golf Game,” “City of Ashgabat,” “Healing with Music,” and many others.
“Usually we prepare our works for themed exhibitions, but here the theme is open,” Arzuv explained when asked what attracts him to this exhibition. “Because of this, I can share many creative ideas with viewers.”
Bayly Aynazarov is the author of the “Heavenly Horses” series of paintings. He succeeded in portraying Akhal-Teke horses somewhat differently from previous artists. One of his greatest creative achievements is the work “Magtymguly Fragi.” Bayly conveyed the image of the great poet and scholar by creating the portrait of an intelligent man deeply concerned about the fate of his people. In my opinion, this painting is one of the finest works by Turkmen artists dedicated to Magtymguly.
“This exhibition gives participants the opportunity to show what the Academy of Arts has given us for the development of our abilities,” Bayly said. “We are grateful to our teachers for our creative achievements.”
Guljan Shokhratgeldiyeva is a remarkable student of the sculpture department. She first studied the art of sculpture under Hero of Turkmenistan and People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Sarakht Babayev, and now receives her academic training from another leading sculptor of the country, People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Babasary Annamuradov. For this reason, it is not enough for her to be simply a sculptor — she must strive to be the best. Guljan presented several works at the exhibition, all of which were evaluated with heightened scrutiny. She passed this test successfully. She is especially skilled at creating sculptural compositions featuring Alabay dogs. Another theme to which Guljan devotes special attention is children. Her sculpture of a girl with balloons from the “Happy Childhood” series attracted considerable attention from visitors. However, her main sculptural composition at the moment is “The First Step.” In it, a toddler protected by his mother takes his first step, opening before him an entire world of possibilities.
The five participants of the student exhibition are experiencing something similar to that child as they take their own confident first steps into the world of art.
