Art Madrid'24 – CARPETS THAT MELT OR A LOOK TO THE PAST, BY FAIG AHMED

When mastery, imagination and originality go hand in hand, we can only admire a masterpiece. This is the work of the artist Faig Ahmed, who fuses tradition with contemporaneity in his impressive braided carpets, pieces that force us to look carefully and to analyse the message that they transmit to us.

Faig Ahmed portrait with one of his pieces (image by Sarah Benet, on www.animationpagoda.com)

Faig Ahmed (Azerbaijan, 1982) is a tireless creator whose work rescues one of the main cultural signs of this region of the world, famous, like other surrounding countries, for its majestic carpets, a tradition that goes back several millennia ago as a sign of their collective identity to become a world reference. Their hypnotic drawings of symmetrical composition, which sometimes resemble elements seen through a kaleidoscope, unfold in layers woven of bright colours with enormous visual impact.

Faig Ahmed, artwork of the series "Liquid" (image from www.animationpagoda.com)

This practice synthesises the entire history of the Persian people until it becomes a cultural symbol that conveys a large knowledge accumulated over the centuries. This task has traditionally been attributed to women, who follow patterns of colour and composition to give the perfect finish we all know. The work of Faig Ahmed is a tribute to this meticulous and invisible work and offer a rereading that has bridges with the past.

The artist graduated in Fine Arts in Baku specialising in sculpture, and, although his production is very diverse, he has become famous for his work with carpets, a type of pieces with which he was presented in the Azerbaijan pavilion of the biennial of Venice in 2007. Today, he is part of important collections and museums around the world.

Faig Ahmed, “Secret Garden”, 2017, (image from voltashow.com)

As he explains, the goal is to channel conceptual art, with a strong base of colourist abstraction, through traditional techniques, far from what is usual in the field of visual arts. In his opinion, it is essential to look at the past to find that mystical and spiritual connection that deals with the passage of time and our location at the moment of history. His work raises an open question about what is true and what is not, what should be, what we really see, and how much we owe to our cultural heritage to be where we are today.

Faig Ahmed, "Set Your Life On Fire" (image from www.inverse.com)

The result is an eclectic work, which mixes disciplines and techniques, in large projects on which he previously works on a computer. A task of decomposition and deconstruction that he carries out with great inspiration to give rise to something completely new and fascinating.

 

“I paint in a completely free way, I don't have a plan, it's chaotic, but everything has a reason. I don't prepare anything before I start painting, what I paint is what I feel or try to communicate at that moment, so it changes a lot (from one work to another)”.

Chão limpo e o resto. Mixed media on canvas. 2023. Ana Malta. Courtesy of the artist.

Cultura Inquieta once again joins the experience of discovering and celebrating creative talent within the broad spectrum of artistic expressions present at Art Madrid'24. As a supporter of culture and contemporary art, its commitment to promoting and supporting emerging artists is reflected in a special initiative in this edition: highlighting and supporting the work of the REVELATION ARTIST of the 19th edition.

Só durmo na minha almofada. Mixed media on canvas. 2023. Ana Malta. Courtesy of the artist.

In this context, Ana Malta emerges into the contemporary art scene with a fresh voice and her own visual aesthetic. Born in Lisbon in 1996, Malta is a talented visual artist and freelance designer who has captivated the public with her distinctive approach and bold exploration of the beauty of everyday spaces through her investigations of color.

Her studies in Painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon, as well as her Master's Degree in Creative Industries Management at the Catholic University of Portugal in Porto, have provided a solid foundation for her artistic practice. Currently, she also collaborates in the Communication and Production Office of Carpintarias de São Lázaro - Centro Cultural e Galeria Belo-Galsterer, showing her commitment to the cultural fabric of her community. She is also part of the artistic collective VÊS.TRÊS.

Ana Malta has been recognized in several platforms and media, including the 14th Edition of QUADRANTE, Melancia Mag and the SCROLL program of the RTP2 channel. Her participation in the book (AS)ARTISTAS - Ensaio Gráfico sobre Histórias e Práticas Artísticas no Feminino and in the April 21st Edition of Nova Awareness Club underlines her impact and relevance in the contemporary art scene.

Só um é que ganha. Mixed media on canvas. 2023. Ana Malta. Courtesy of the artist.

Ana Malta's work is characterized by her exploration of color, patterns, composition, and texture. These elements are not only vehicles of her plastic and visual expression, but also embody an intimate dialogue between aesthetic restlessness and the transformation of error into opportunity.

It is exciting to see Ana Malta make her debut at Art Madrid'24, represented by Galeria São Mamede (STAND B3). Her presence promises to further enrich the artistic experience of the event, inviting the public to approach the visually captivating and conceptually stimulating universe that the artist creates to narrate the chaos she rearranges in shapes and colors.

Não fico pendurada. Mixed media on canvas. 2023. Ana Malta. Courtesy of the artist.

In a world in constant movement, Ana Malta reminds us of the importance of experimentation and continuous exploration in the search for authentic and sincere artistic expression.

Her work has been REVEALED to us in the 19th edition of ART MADRID, thanks to the precise point of view of CULTURA INQUIETA as a testimony of the transforming power of art. In her hands, the entropy of forms brings us the possible memory of an endless summer; the luminosity of the sun becomes the caress of everyday life; we may even be surprised by the formula of happiness turned into a companion animal.

Ana Malta's pieces combines the restlessness of a space that appears to be in a state of chaos with the delicate synesthesia of vibrating at the velocity of light, nuances, lines and colors in her paintings.