Ancient Merv is one of the universally recognized centers of civilizations of Central Asia. It was once the largest city in the region. Great thinkers of the Middle Ages lived and worked there. The architectural monuments of Ancient Merv with the mausoleum of Sultan Sanjar, monumental buildings – Small and Big Kyz-Gala are not only masterpieces of architecture but also indisputable evidence of the artistic genius of the people, their eternal craving for beauty.
A person born in the area of these majestic monuments of ancient culture cannot but become a painter. Perhaps that is why this land gave the world the remarkable Turkmen painters such as Izzat Klychev, Durdy Bayramov, Shamukhammed Akmukhammedov, Dzhuma Dzhumadurdy.
It was by chance that at the end of the seventies of the last century a large group of young painters, hungry for new creative searches, returned to their native land in the same period of time after graduating from art universities of Moscow, Leningrad, Tashkent, Ashgabat. The blend of youth, national temperament, specific perception of the world and the classical art school produced a striking effect. As opposed to the metropolitan school of painting that developed its characteristic features in the 1960s, the Mary school of painting shaped its own unique style by the beginning of the 1980s.
Many of the founders of this school of painting, peculiar in form and deeply national in content, still delight art lovers with the final products of their creative searches. However, over the good four decades that have passed since the birth of the new phenomenon in the Turkmen fine arts, new generations of authors have grown up, joining the ranks of the Union of Artists of the country. A large-scale exhibition of painters from the Mary province was held last autumn in the exhibition hall of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan on the occasion of celebration of the country’s independence. It was intended to demonstrate the degree of readiness of the young generation of masters from the Murgab oasis to take the creative baton from the hands of veterans.
The name of the People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Annadurdy Muradaliyev is inextricably linked with the theme of the complete dominance of the pictorial principle. The coloristic structure of his works is extremely complex. He seeks to express in color what others would like to convey in form, line and subject. The author is known for lyrical reflection and softness in handling the depicted elements. The rich color of his works helps in creating images, filling them with lifeblood. Buffy, reddish, dark brown tones convey the tactile colors of the details of the Turkmen national dress.
Honored Art Worker of Turkmenistan Kossekmurad Nurmuradov also presented his works, painted in the traditional fairy tale genre. His canvases are a colorful quintessence of the East, with its special attitude and aesthetics. The topic is presented on the plane of the canvas like an ornamental decor of medieval oriental architecture. The rhythmic play of smooth lines and color spots fills the entire space, in which colors and silhouettes interlace into elastic and whimsical patterns.
Each work by People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Ata Akyyev is noted for the unique style and impressive individuality. His paintings amaze viewers with their intricate philosophical excursions that talk about exciting emotional experiences. The painter’s mastery is characterized by the fact that his works instill a sense of trust with any color solutions because they create an atmosphere of conventionality by means of painting that is easily understood by the viewer.
A series of paintings dedicated to the famous Turkmen weightlifter, world champion Altymurad Orazdurdyyev is among the notable works by Nurata Khodzhakuliyev. Altymurad and Nurata studied in the same class at school, knew each other from childhood, which allowed the painter to accurately convey the image of an outstanding Turkmen athlete and preserve it for future generations.
Paintings by the Honored Art Worker of Turkmenistan, Chary Hummedov, attract attention. The painter illustrates his constant evolution in art. His works are imbued with sincere warmth and attention to female images, presenting the roots of ancient folk tradition of honoring women-mothers, women-workers.
People’s Artist of Turkmenistan, Kurbangeldy Kurbanov again and again infect viewers with their powerful energy. Many of his works feature images from folklore and oriental poetry which very organically blend with the realities of our time.
There are not so many representatives of the fair among the remarkable painters of the country. However, the Mary art school in this sense can be considered a happy exception, having in its ranks such well-established masters as Ainagozel Nuryyeva and Surai Akmuradova. Their colorful paintings, testifying to the mature level of artistic comprehension of reality, took a worthy place in the exhibition. To all appearances, young painters Govher Hydyrova and Guncha Yazmukhammedova, whose expressive works left the most favorable impression, are ready to join their reputable company.
Muratgeldy Kurbangeldyyev and Allaberdy Ovezdurdyyev are surely among the authors who have not yet reached the rank of luminaries but have already come close to the proficiency level. These are the painters whose works already now largely define the style of the regional school, and tomorrow the burden of leadership will certainly fall on their strengthened shoulders.
Young Mary painters that recently joined the ranks of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan are full of strong determination to expand the field of creative searches, testing themselves in new genres and subjects. It will be interesting after some time to see the new works by Shokhrat Berdyev, Toyly Chopanov, Kurban Babatachev, Baky Mommayev. The works they presented now are already worthy of attention, and viewers can justly expect more from them.
Visitors to the exhibition were presented with 220 works by forty-two authors. If we talk about the quality of painting, then the older generation is clearly not going to give up its dominant positions to younger colleagues. However, to all appearances, Mary artists are far from internal irreconcilable disputes for the palm. They act as a single monolithic team, remaining faithful to the chosen artistic methods, techniques and traditions developed over four decades.
Even the fact that in the preparation of the exposition the organizers decided to exhibit the works by the authors who have recently passed away attests to the inviolability of the unity of collective creative aspirations, when even death does not erase a person from the creative brotherhood. We are talking about the works by the prominent representatives of the regional school such as People’s Artist of Turkmenistan Allaberdy Amangeldyyev and Honored Art Worker of Turkmenistan Bazargeldy Kurbangeldyyev. Their paintings deservedly adorned such an imposing exhibition, sounding like an echo of the emotional appeal of the older generation to the youth.