From left to right: Kamil Aliyev, Jahangir Rustamov and Ashraf Muradov, working on the design of the "Nizami" carpet
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
1962
Baku, Azerbaijan
At the unveiling of the statue of Muhammad Fuzuli in Baku. From left to right: Mirali Mirgasimov, Sultan Kozirev, Baba Aliyev, Arif Agamalov, Ismayil Akhundov, Fuad Abdurrahmanov, Musheg and Kamil Aliyev
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
1968
From right to left: Latif Karimov, a weaver, and Kamil Aliyev in front of the completed "Nizami" carpet
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
1978
Ukraine
From left to right: Elbey Rzaguliyev, Shamsi Badalbeyli and Kamil Aliyev in Ukraine
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
1985
Cromwell Rd, Knightsbridge, London SW7 2RL, United Kingdom
Kamil Aliyev in front of the "Sheikh Safi" carpet at the "Victoria and Albert Museum"
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
1999
National Leader Heydar Aliyev awarding the artist Kamil Aliyev the Order of Independence
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Guests in Kamil Aliyev’s studio.
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
At the opening of Kamil's exhibition. From left to right: Kamil Aliyev, Mammad Mustafayev, Aghaali İbrahimov and others.
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Kamil Aliyev, working on a carpet design.
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Aliyev in front of his carpet, dedicated to Mirza Fatali Akhundov.
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Icheri Sheher, Baku, Azerbaijan
Kamil, studying ancient ornamentation on a trunk in Icheri Sheher.
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Kamil Aliyev, inspecting a "dragon" motif.
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Katmandu, Nepal
Kamil Aliyev at his carpet exhibition in Katmandu
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Kamil Aliyev with his students in the studio
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Kamil Aliyev and a researcher Gulsum Aliyeva discussing the weaving of a piece of fabric from Nizami Ganjavi’s tomb.
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Kamil Aliyev in his studio
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Kamil as a soldier
Gallery of Kamil Aliyev
Kamil with carpet weavers.
Achievements
Membership
Awards
Medal of the Honored Art Worker of the Azerbaijan SSR
Medal of the People's Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR
At the unveiling of the statue of Muhammad Fuzuli in Baku. From left to right: Mirali Mirgasimov, Sultan Kozirev, Baba Aliyev, Arif Agamalov, Ismayil Akhundov, Fuad Abdurrahmanov, Musheg and Kamil Aliyev
Kamil Aliyev was a rug artist, who created numerous samples of Azerbaijani carpets. However, he was mostly known for his portrait rugs. During his career, Kamil also created a series of canvases, dedicated to famous people.
Background
Kamil Aliyev was born on October 22, 1921, in Yerevan, Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic (present-day Yerevan, Armenia). He was a son of Museyib Aliyev. During the period of bloody massacres, carried out mercilessly by Armenians against Azerbaijanis, the Aliyevs were forced to flee from their homeland. As a result, the family settled down in Turkey in 1922. Shortly afterwards, the family returned to Yerevan, however, they soon had to move to Baku because of the continuing ruthlessness of the Armenians. In 1934, Kamil's father died and his mother had to bring up her five children alone.
Education
When Kamil was a child, his mother Khanim and his grandmother Gulsum cultivated in him a love of carpet weaving. In his spare time, when he was a primary school student, he created paintings and drawings. In addition, in his free time, Kamil also made different metal items, such as scissors and rings.
In 1936, Kamil began studying at the Department of Decorative Arts in the Baku Art School, where he remained for the next three years.
Career
In 1937, Kamil started his career as a copyist at the experimental laboratory "Azerkhalcha". There, he had an opportunity to improve his skills, learning from the experience of great artists, like Gazanfar Khaligov, Amir Hajiyev, Latif Karimov, Kazim Kazimzadeh and Ismayil Akhundov.
In 1939, Kamil Aliyev contributed to the weaving of themed carpets, dedicated to the 800th anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi. He said, that he learned a lot of things from Latif Karimov in those years and claimed till the end of his life, that his teacher had played a significant role in his creative life.
In 1941, when the Great Patriotic War broke out, Kamil was sent to the front. He fought in different locations, including Maikop and Berlin. In 1946, he returned home with 22 orders and medals and began working as an artist at the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, where he remained till 1961. At the same time, Aliyev continued working as a painter - he created portraits and landscapes, and produced rug stencils, inside of which he painted prominent people of Azerbaijan.
In 1958, Kamil created his first rug sample, dedicated to the 400th anniversary of the death of Fuzûlî. His first success came, when a "Fuzûlî" rug was produced with the application of Kamil's design. The following year, in 1959, Aliyev created a rug, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the establishment of Soviet power in Azerbaijan. Subsequently, many carpets were woven with the use of Aliyev’s sketches and samples.
In 1961, Kamil was appointed Head of the Art Foundation's Creative Production Plant. In 1962, he served as a director of the production unit at the Ministry of Local Industry. During the period from 1964 till 1971, he held a post of a director of the Baku Jewellery Factory. Despite his success, Aliyev remained true to his love for the carpet art. Later, in 1993, Aliyev was appointed the Principal Director of the Scientific and Production Association "Azerkhalcha", a post he held till the end of his life.
One of Kamil's greatest desires was to create the portrait of his native country's national leader, Heydar Aliyev, the pride of his nation, whom he had respected and admired since his youth. Over the years, he researched and drew hundreds of designs, looking for an artistic way to depict the inner world and unique character of Heydar on a carpet. From 1980 to 2004, he drafted dozens of different versions of the "Heydar Aliyev" carpet and only three of them were executed.
In the last years of his life, Aliyev set himself several goals and managed to fulfill almost all of them. The first one was to complete the carpets of Mir Movsum Agha, that were started by an expert carpet maker, his mother Khanim. Another wish was to construct a "Carpet House". On his own initiative, his apartment was turned into a museum, dedicated to carpets.
Kamil nurtured another desire for years. He wanted to remake the "Sheikh Safi" carpet, woven in South Azerbaijan in the 16th century, which is kept at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. He wanted to return the carpet to his nation. Kamil visited London several times, conducted extensive research, drew parts of the carpet and sketched it on paper. However, he did not manage to fulfill this dream because of some technical problems of those times. Later, Azer-Ilme Ltd successfully completed this important project of weaving the "Sheikh Safi" carpet in Azerbaijan.
During his career, the artist had several exhibitions, held in different places, including Baku (1982), Nepal (1984), Delhi (1987), Ankara, Istanbul and İzmir (1990), Tehran (1994) and London, United Kingdom (1999).
In general, Kamil Aliyev's creative career could be divided into four periods. During the first period of his work, Aliyev created portraits of poets and thinkers of Azerbaijan. In the second period, he produced portraits of foreign poets and writers, such as Shota Rustaveli, Alexander Pushkin, Rabindranath Tagore and others. The third period of his oeuvre was devoted to political leaders, including Heydar Aliyev and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. During the fourth period of his work, Kamil created rugs with the portraits of saints.
Kamil Aliyev’s art was national. He never stood aside from folk art. This is why he always addressed classical composition in his creations. The carpets, woven by Kamil Aliyev, represent the spiritual world and ancient history of Azerbaijan with skillfully selected and exquisite ornamentation, calligraphy and an infinite color palette.
The buta motif was significant in Kamil Aliyev’s work. Another design element, favored by Kamil, was the islimi (arabesque). Another ornament, beloved by the artist and prominent among the elements of any composition, is the palmette floral ornament, known as the shah abbasi in the East.
Personality
Kamil Aliyev had a strong character. He had great leadership qualities, the ability to overcome all obstacles and challenges to achieve the desired goal. Also, Kamil had a talent to fulfill with excellence even the most difficult tasks he was responsible for.
The artist was devoted to the Turkic world and the Turkic nation and always had great respect for Gazi Mustafa Kemal Pasha Ataturk. He would hang his portraits on the walls of his workshop and guarded them jealously.
Connections
Kamil was married to Ramiza. Their marriage produced a daughter, Narmina, and a son, Javanshir.
Father:
Museyib Aliyev
child:
Narmina Aliyeva
child:
Javanshir Aliyev
References
"Servet" series of albums. The National Heritage project.
As part of The National Heritage project implemented by Xalq Bank, Azerbaijan National Museum of Art under the head of Chingiz Farzaliyev prepared the "Servet" series of albums dedicated to the masters of Azerbaijani art.