A solo exhibition of paintings by Rovshen Annaniyazov, dedicated to the artist’s 55th birthday, has opened at the Exhibition Center of Fine Arts of the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan. Those close to Rovshen Emirgulyyevich say that he had a pure heart, like an angel’s, but a very sick one. This ultimately led to his untimely passing.
Rovshen Annaniyazov was born into a creative family. His mother, Jovza Shakhberdiyeva, was an honored carpet maker and the daughter of the literary critic Hally Shakhberdiyev. This background could not but influence his choice of profession as an artist. Rovshen entered the Turkmen State Art School, and after graduating continued his studies at the Alma-Ata Art Institute.
R. Annaniyazov’s creative career is also noteworthy. For five years he taught students at the State Academy of Arts in the field of design. Incidentally, several of his original design works are among the exhibits at the exhibition. For six years he worked as an exterior and interior artist for the Turkmen–French construction company “Bouygues.”
The exhibition of the artist’s works was organized by his daughter, Cheper Durdyyeva. She is an artist specializing in carpets and tapestries.
“My father very much wanted to present his works to the public in a personal exhibition,” says Cheper, “but he did not have time. His heart failed him. So it fell to me to realize his dream. I am grateful to the administration of the Exhibition Center for their support and to everyone who came today to my father’s exhibition to pay tribute to his memory and to appreciate his art.”
R. Annaniyazov’s work amazed everyone with its versatility. Most of the works are executed in the style of abstraction. Among them are paintings such as “The Omnipresent Gaze of God”, “Cosmos”, “The Creation of the World”, and “The Spiritual World”, which testify to the artist’s deep philosophical reflections.
Some of the paintings are created in the style of symbolism— “The Path of Inspiration” and “My Father’s Household”. However, perhaps the most memorable work was the painting in a futurist style, “Victors of Nature”. Many artists have addressed the theme of protecting nature, but few have managed to create a work as sharp and piercing as Rovshen Annaniyazov did. Several generations of people on our planet lived by the slogan: “We cannot wait for favors from nature; taking them from it is our task.” Now the mistakes of such a practice are evident. In his work, R. Annaniyazov depicted a piece of wood nailed crosswise to gray, lifeless soil. But the most important detail is the eye that looks reproachfully from the piece of wood at humankind.
“A very interesting artist of the 21st century,” is how Rovshen Emirgulyyevich was characterized by the People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Gylych Yarmamedov.
Indeed, Rovshen Annaniyazov seemed to look into the future of our country and the entire planet in order to warn, advise, and protect both humanity and nature.
The exhibition features many self-portraits of the artist, executed in a realistic style. This is how he will remain in our memory—young and kind.
