The Turkmen artist Mammad Yarmammadov – participant of lots of international exhibitions, member of the “Turkmenistan Artists Union”, is an authentic painter. The artist’s non-standard outlook is reflected on his works, which remind more decorative textile panels.
“Folk art – here is the source of my creativity. Dignity of colors in our carpets, dress, their monumentality, and, at the same time, delicacy of the folk ornamentation, totally amaze me!” (M.Y.)
Mammad is true expert of the national art, it attracted him since his youth. He was impressed by the beauty of traditional carpets and embroideries that surrounded his mode of life. He was into kaleidoscope of colors and ornaments; all they enchanted him. Tangling of figures, various forms, the symbolics of characters – all these became the artist’s inspiration.
“I started painting with immediate impulse of love.” (M.Y.)
Learning oil painting, Mammad realises that he would be fully absorbed by this genre for the rest of his life. He doesn’t want to make cliche but thinks over finding a harmony between contemporary art and his own ambitions. The artist seeks for hidden symbols that touch him so much, in the intricate labyrinths of ornaments.
“Past is as important for me as future is.” (M.Y.)
Through his painting Mammad reminds viewers about elusiveness of human memory, how easy to forget and to lose the knowledge binding us with our roots, with original national culture. The artist makes accents on motives of the folk creation and decorative-applied art. And certainly, he glorifies modest traditional living style of the Turkmen from which the modern generation prefers to keep a distance.
Two series of the painter’s works that reflect dramatically his artistic credo, are represented in the exhibition.
“The Nokhur” series – a fairy tale about a village where unpretentious harmony of life and nature gave the indelible impression.
For the artist, an authentic lifestyle of these places, living mode and homes of inhabitants of the village, as well as beauty of the nature landscapes is an etalon of heritage of traditional “Past”, which needs in careful attitude and preservation.
Artistic embodiment of the series is not just searching for beautiful combination of brushstrokes and colors, here the master reflects with a big love the everyday stories of villagers, conferring them with mystics of life out of time and out of physical laws of existence.
“The Ornaments” – dance of forms, colors and rhythm.
“Beauty and uniqueness of patterns in carpets, in jewellery and in embroideries, led me to create ornamental-decorative compositions.” (M.Y.)
Canvases from this series distinguish by rich palette and by extra-decorative approach. The works are set in a flat painting style, by passing usual rules of perspective. The elements filling the composition are fulfilled extremely conditionally and metaphorically, as if they are parts of a carpet’s ornament. Main images of the compositional idea – people, objects, plants – all they are laced in a stylistic and rhythmical motive, which turns the canvas into some imitation to textile decoration of a house.
