Azerbaijani artist has first solo show in New York

Aida Mahmudova’s The Neighbors, 2015, 200 x 300 cm, Mixed media on canvas (Courtesy: Aida Mahmudova and YAY gallery)

The founder of Yarat art organisation in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be having her first solo exhibition in the US at Leila Heller Gallery, opening next week. Aida Mahmudova, who lives and works in Baku, will present eight new paintings of scenes and structures on the peripheries of the urban centre that Baku has become associatad with, interspersed with elements of fantasy.

A central component of Mahmudova’s work is her exploration of memory, its links to identity, and how they both can be continually altered and re-remembered over time. “The scenes in my paintings have a strong personal resonance, combining places within Baku with those remembered and imagined. Each view captures a moment of stillness against a backdrop that is constantly changing,” she says.

The show, titled Passing By... play with depth, perspective and scale, creating large-scale scenes that draw in the viewer. Although Yarat and Azerbaijani art is on the rise within the global scene, it is still largely undiscovered and this show in New York will provide a wonderful window for many new viewers.

* Passing By... by Aida Mahmudova will be on view at Leila Heller Gallery, 568 West 25th Street, New York, from May 28 – July 3. For more info visit: www.leilahellergallery.com