Birthday of prominent carpet artist celebrated in Baku

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

An exhibition "Kamil Aliyev: Artist and Time" has opened at National Carpet Museum. 

The event is timed to the 100th birth anniversary of People's  Artist Kamil Aliyev, known as a talented carpet artist. 

In his speech, the Culture Minister Anar Kerimov highlighted the contribution of the carpet artist to the preservation and development of the Azerbaijan's carpet weaving traditions. 

The Culture Minister stressed that the creative activity of an outstanding artist has always been highly valued by the state.

He pointed out that President Ilham Aliyev signed an order on the 100th anniversary of Kamil Aliyev on October 12, 2021.

Anar Karimov stressed the importance of preserving Kamil Aliyev's  heritage in order to pass it on to future generations.

In her speech, director of the Carpet Museum, Doctor of Philosophy in Art Criticism, Honored Cultural Worker Shirin Melikova noted that Kamil Aliyev devoted his entire life to the development of Azerbaijan's carpet weaving traditions.

Shirin Melikova said that the Carpet Museum, together with the Culture Ministry  is implementing a series of events dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Kamil Aliyev.

Kamil Aliyev creatively transformed the classical carpet compositions and designed the ornaments not only for carpets but also for different types of textiles, including ceramic.

However, it was the portrait carpets that brought him worldwide fame. Kamil Aliyev managed to grow this genre into a whole direction in carpet weaving, which is still in demand today.

During his long and creative life, Kamil Aliyev designed a wide variety of portrait carpets using different carpet weaving methods to portray the images of artists and political leaders: world-famous poets Nizami Ganjavi, Imadaddin Nasimi, Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, Shota Rustaveli, Rabindranath Tagore, politicians Heydar Aliyev, Mahammad Amin Rasulzade, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, Indira Gandhi, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Ruhollah Khomeini.

The artist held solo exhibitions not only in Azerbaijan but also in Paris, London, Tokyo, Delhi, Ankara, Istanbul, Tehran, Moscow, and Kyiv. His carpets are preserved in world-famous museums and private collections.

The Carpet Museum director also highlighted the international conference "The Artist and the Carpet: Today and Tomorrow ".

The two-day conference is held in a hybrid format (direct and online participation). Around 40 specialists from different countries are taking part in the conference.

Director of the National Museum of Azerbaijani Literature, MP Rafael Huseynov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Artists` Union,  People's Artist  Farhad Khalilov, People's Artist Eldar Mikayilzade and others spoke about the creative activities of Kamil Aliyev and shared their memories about the artist.

Kamil Aliyev's daughter, Narmin Aliyeva is also a carpet artist, art critic. She has worked with her father for many years. 

Narmin Aliyeva noted that Kamil Aliyev's mother and grandmother were carpet artists too.

After his death, there was only one unfinished carpet Mir Movsum Agha.

The carpet remained untouched for one year. Furthermore, Narmin Aliyeva finished the carpet which is now stored in Mir Movsum Agha House in the village of Shuvelan.

Next, art lovers viewed the exhibition that featured 18 carpets from the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum's collection, 3 carpets from the collection of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, and 3 carpets and 5 sketches from the artist’s family archive.