The State Academy of Arts of Turkmenistan often surprises visitors with the talents of its teachers, students, and graduates. A recent exhibition has drawn attention to the works of Annageldi Jumaniyazov and his two students, Merdan Kakabaev and Merdan Babajanov.

Annageldi Jumaniyazov, a teacher at the Academy of Arts, actively works in the style of expressionism. The artist is known for his powerful drawing, which is particularly evident in his portraits. By conveying the character of his models, Jumaniyazov skillfully uses compositional solutions and color play. His paintings, such as "Self-Portrait," "Portrait of the People's Artist of Turkmenistan Annadurdy Almamedov," and "Visiting the Artist," clearly represent a rare talent in Turkmen painting. However, the artist's recognizable style is also noticeable in his landscapes and still lifes.

Annageldi Jumaniyazov generously shares his creative achievements with students at the Academy, and some of them adopt his expressionist techniques. Among them is Merdan Kakabaev, a graduate of the Academy and now a teacher at the Boldumsaz Secondary School in Dashoguz velayat. Unlike his teacher, Merdan is an expressionist romantic. The central part of the exhibition features his works, which reveal the author's deep commitment to family happiness. Pure joyful colors convey the happy mood of his characters, whether it's a loving couple or a young married couple.

One of Merdan Kakabaev's interesting works is "Friendly Treat," which depicts the People's Artist of Uzbekistan Akmay Nureddinov and Merdan Kakabaev himself. The artists treat each other to apples and pomegranates. This painting coincides with the motto of 2025 – the International Year of Peace and Trust.

Another student of Annageldi Jumaniyazov, working in the style of expressionist realism, is Merdan Babajanov, a teacher at the Turkmen State Specialized Art School. 

Merdan Babajanov carefully depicts ethnographic exhibits related to agriculture in his still life "Heritage." The artist is deeply moved by archaeological finds from Margush, Nisa, Anev, and other historical monuments of antiquity. Another direction of his creativity is folk musical instruments. In one of his still lifes, he depicted a gijak next to pumpkins. It turns out that one of the main parts of the gijak – a circle – is made from a specific type of pumpkin.

Merdan Babajanov can be classified as a realist: his works lack tension in forms. The objects in his paintings are clearly drawn without shadows and are colored in bright, pure colors.

The exhibition showed that artists successfully master modern painting styles and incorporate their individual elements into them.