Aynagozel Nuryeva, a representative of a cohort of bright and talented masters of contemporary national fine arts, is a graduate of the famous Mary school of painting that emerged in Turkmen fine arts in the second half of the last century. Since then, more and more stars, brought up on the traditions and ideas of this school, have appeared in the creative constellation of Mary artists. Aynagozel Nuryeva’s works occupy a worthy place among them.
Painter, graphic artist, teacher Aynagozel was born in Mary. She learned the basics of painting at a children’s art school. She still remembers with gratitude and warmth her first talented teacher Annamurad Mukhammedov. She believes that it was he who gave her a ticket to the world of art.
Studying at the Turkmen State Art College was the next step in her art career that helped her to perfect knowledge gained earlier, acquire professional skills and general art and visual culture.
Beginning 1985, the painter participated in various exhibitions. Gradually, Aynagozel became one of the famous masters, presenting her works at competitions, exhibitions, vernissages. Yet, this was not enough for the restless, creative soul of Aynagozel. She wanted to improve and develop her professional skills, expand the range of creative approaches. So, Aynagozel Nuryeva decided to continue her art education at the Ukrainian Institute of Polygraphy named after Ivan Fedorov. The painter enriched her knowledge in the field of art, her artistic style and technique became more diverse. She discovered that she has a gift of colorist, using familiar shades in new angles. As a student, Aynagozel participated in a large exhibition, her works stood out noticeably against the works by other students.
After graduating the higher education establishment, she held her first solo exhibition at the Department of Culture of the city of Mary, presenting to the audience both her early works that are distinguished by their acute perception of reality and more “mature” works, in each of which one could feel the author’s reverent attitude to her favorite topic – the history of his people in its smallest nuances.
The year 2005 was significant for Aynagozel Nuryeva, as she took part in an exhibition of Turkmen artists in the UK. The visitors highly appreciated her art, and many of her works migrated directly from the exhibition to private collections of the British. This was followed by an exhibition of Turkmen artists in Paris, and her works literally made a splash among French connoisseurs of beauty. Then, there was an exhibition in Iran, where the painter’s works appeared to be no less popular, because her oriental-style paintings turned out to be close to the mentality of the locals. The painter also organized her second solo exhibition in her hometown. This original artistic report was evidence of the rapid development of her talent. Portraits, still life works, and intricate compositions delighted the visitors.
In 2012, a large-scale exhibition called “Mentor – Student” was organized at the regional center. It brought together painters teaching in Mary province, including Aynagozel Nuryeva and her students. After all, becoming a member of the Union of Artists of Turkmenistan, Aynagozel Nuryeva devoted herself not only to her own works but also to education of the younger generation of painters. At the exhibition, Nuryeva showed her works made in her typical highly artistic manner. But no less significant was the success of the master’s students – Govher Akiyeva and Allaberdy Durdiyev. Their works became evidence of Nuryeva’s pedagogical gift, who managed to find an approach to each student and develop their artistic thinking.
The year 2019 was the most fruitful in her artistic career. Aynagozel Nuryeva participated in the symposium of world painters in Cyprus. Her exposition comprised 18 paintings, including one of the expressive monumental canvases “Women of Five Epochs”. The painter proved to be the brightest representative of national art among her talented colleagues from all over the world. A year earlier, Aynagozel Nuryeva took part in the exhibition “Turkmenistan – the Heart of the Great Silk Road” organized at the Roerich Museum in Moscow. Aynagozel’s creative style peculiarities have been most visible at recent exhibitions, including her peculiar manner of painting, as well as a color palette with a constant dominant of red hues that make her canvases noticeable and recognizable.
In 2021, Aynagozel Nuryeva’s third personal exhibition was held at the Department of Culture of the city of Mary. It differed from the previous ones by its scale. This time, the painter presented all the paintings she created from the early years to the present day. On her canvases, the painter embodied scenes from folk life, original traditions and customs of the Turkmens. It is noteworthy that Turkmen women are the characters of most of Aynagozel Nuriyeva’s works. They are the keepers of the hearth, historical figures, gray-haired mothers with the seal of life wisdom on their faces, yet they are all loving and beloved, inspiring the painter for creation of wonderful paintings, such as “Pomegranate Fruit”, “Woman with a Falcon”, “Margianka”, “Dream”, “Lily”.
So, her every exhibition reveals the sequence of perfection of the painter’s skills, her great contribution to national art, a significant part of which covers the work of people from the ancient city of Mary.