On October 30, the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art hosted the opening ceremony of the exhibition “Cilenced Wings”, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the prominent painter and distinguished representative of 20th-century Azerbaijani avant-garde art, Tofig Javadov. The exhibition was organized jointly by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art as part of the cultural festival “Fly to Baku. Art Weekend. Feel the Future NOW.”

The opening ceremony, attended by well-known figures of public life, science, and culture, featured speeches by the Director of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art and curator of the exhibition, Shirin Malikova; the Chairman of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan and People’s Artist, Farhad Khalilov; and the head of the Baku Art Center, Rafael Gulmammadli. In their remarks, they emphasized that during his short but productive life, Tofig Javadov left behind a legacy rich in artistic ideas. They also noted that in the 1950s and 1960s, despite the strict ideological constraints of Soviet art, he was recognized as one of the rare artists who managed to preserve his creative individuality and freedom.

After the speeches, the guests became acquainted with the exhibition.

The display features 91 works by Tofig Javadov created over different years — paintings and graphic works, including book illustrations and sketches. It is noteworthy that for the first time, the artist’s creative heritage has been brought together in a single space, encompassing works from the collections of the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art, the State Art Gallery of Azerbaijan, the Baku Art Center (“Yeni Gallery”), and private collections.

Tofig Javadov is regarded as one of the most poetic representatives of the Absheron painting school. His works dedicated to this theme — “Street in Buzovna,” “Village Landscape” and others — vividly reflect the spirit, color, and poetic atmosphere of Absheron. His paintings presented at the exhibition, such as “Industrial Landscape,” “Oil Workers,” “Tanks”, and the “Factory” series, merge industrial motifs with human emotion, bringing to life the essence of the oil city.

One of the main highlights of the exhibition is the presentation of the artist’s book graphics in an interactive multimedia format — via a touch screen. This innovative approach allows viewers to explore Javadov’s artistic range in a broader context.

It should be noted that in preparation for the exhibition, the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art took significant steps to preserve and promote the artist’s legacy for future generations. The museum acquired Javadov’s painting “Street in Baku” and his graphic work “Motherhood” for its collection, and also carried out the restoration of the painting “Pipe-Rolling Plant”, which belongs to the State Art Gallery’s collection.

The exhibition will remain open to visitors until November 30, 2025.