MUSEYIB AMIROV'S Two States of Being AT YAY GALLERY

These two worlds, or states of being familiar to all of us, become merged together. Museyib succeeds in reconciling us with the need to live simultaneously in the past and the present, repenting and rejoicing, remembering and hoping. The present signifies friends, work, a vivid resonant reality, while the past embraces a tender childhood warmed by the Absheron sun.  

Amirov is a collection of paradoxes: a dreamer, cherishing a touching faith in the idea of creating a gigantic iron bird that is capable of lifting dreamers like himself into the skies over Absheron; a workaholic who does not believe in the need for inspiration; a creative recluse, who by his own acknowledgment is capable of not leaving his workshop for months; and a person with an amazing number of friends prepared to do anything for him. Is it not this clash of contradictions that has allowed him to unerringly convey the spirit of the times in which we live?

Museyib Amirov was born in 1963 in Baku, the son of the highly regarded artist, Arif Amirov. A graduate of the Azerbaijan State University of the Arts, Museyib has previously taught experimental art in the Azerbaijani Academy of Arts. Today, he works as an independent artist. His artworks are exhibited in the USA, France, Germany, Lithuania and held in many museums and private collections around the world.

He has participated in major international projects, including the Fly to Baku exhibitions series, the art exhibtion Baku-Paris: 20 Artists in Paris, an exhibition of modern Azerbaijani artists at IMF Gallery in Washington, as well as Grands et jeunes d'aujourd'hui in Paris. 

Museyib Amirov's exhibition takes place at Baku's YAY Gallery, which has proudly exhibited up-and-coming and established artists for over a year. All profits from artwork sales are shared between the artists and the non-profit organisation YARAT, who fund and support artists and their projects. The gallery holds regular lectures, video presentations and master classes. 

The official opening: 28 February, 19:00

Two States of Being will run until 19 March 2014

Location: YAY Gallery, Kichik Gala, 5, Baku

Admission: Free