Galerie Stanislas Bourgain - Torakhanim Aghabayova

Torakhanim Aghabayova

Biography

 

Born in 1978 in Baku, Azerbaidjan. Lives and works in Berlin.

 

Educated in classical way in State Academy of Art, Tora is currently living and working in Berlin.

Tora was born in 1979, in Baku, Azerbaijan, when it was a part of the Soviet Union. She studied fine art since an early age and it was a great escape from the late-Soviet and post-Soviet realities.

Being a university art student in the 90s, Tora – together with her brother and her friend Ali – were taking part in performances, that were considered too “wild” for the public, yet somehow she continued to get away with it. Then, in 2002 Tora graduated from art academy with a masters degree in Fine Art Painting. During this time, she continued to follow curiosity by also producing video art back.

In 2006, Tora went to live in Shanghai and all of her Soviet aesthetics and new world’s capitalist consumer culture  – along with a strong touch of Orient –  melted together and so her social realism painting began. Tora returned to Baku in 2009 and began painting. Tora’s works were exhibited internationally. On 2011  art in azerbaijan is getting monopolised and censored. Not being able to accept this, Tora left both the art scene there, as well as the country.

However, Tora was able to find her way to Berlin to the wonderful studios of Bethanien where she is painting again.

 

Awards

Golden Orange in Antalya Film Festival for best production designer. 2012.

 

Solo exhibitions 

2011 ‘Double Meaning’, KicikQalart Gallery, Baku 

2011 ‘Oil and Dreams’, Royal Opera House Arcade, London

 

Selected group exhibitions 

2012 “Fly to Baku. Contemporary art from Azerbaijan”, Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, Paris, France 

‘Fly to Baku. Contemporary art from Azerbaijan’, Phillips de Pury & Company, London, UK

2011 ‘On Soz’, Alternative Art Space, Baku 

“Big Caucasus” “White nights of Perm” Festival, Modern Art Museum, Perm, Russia

2010 ‘USSR Remix’, Tou Scene, Centre for Contemporary Art, Stavanger, Norway 

2009 ‘BakUnlimited’, Cultural Days of Azerbaijan, Voltahalle, Basel, Switzerland 

2007 ‘Omnia Mea’, Azerbaijan Pavilion, 52nd Venice Biennale, Venice 

2003 ‘Caravan Sarai’, International Forum of Visual Art & Art Events, Tbilisi 

2000 ‘Wings of Time’, Khagani Trading Centre, Baku 

1999 ‘Sex 2000’, Art Manege, TheManege Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow 

1998 ‘The Brain of Galapagos Tortoise’, performance, Benevolent Foundation for Aesthetic Development, Baku

Works by Torakhanim Aghabayova :