Background
Kazim Kazimzade was born on August 10, 1913 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Kazim Kazimzade at work.
Kazim Kazimzade with his colleagues from 'Motherland' newspaper.
Kazim Kazimzade with colleagues from the Azerbaijan National Museum of Art.
State Stalin Prize which Kazim Kazimzade received in 1950.
Kazim Kazimzade (in the centre) in Azerbaijan National Museum of Art.
Kazim Kazimzade (left) in Azerbaijan National Museum of Art.
(From left to right) Kazim Kazimzade, Adil Kerimov, Jahangir Rustamov, and Elbey Rzaguliyev.
artist illustrator painter set decorator
Kazim Kazimzade was born on August 10, 1913 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Kazim Kazimzade received his general education at Mirza Majid secondary school. Abdulla Shaig and Yakov Keylikhis were among his teachers there.
Kazimzade revealed his passion for art at an early age. In 1932, he entered Azerbaijan State Art College named after Azim Azimzade, and graduated from it four years later.
Later, in 1960, Kazimzade received a diploma from the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after I.Y. Repin.
Kazim Kazimzade made the first steps to the art right before the beginning of World War II. It was time for constant experiments for Azerbaijani artists. Young Kazimzade was not an exception.
From 1936 to 1937, Kazimzade worked in Azemashr magazine and then spent one more year in Ushaqnashr as a painter. The illustrations he made for a fairytale ‘Alibaba and 40 robbers’ published in a children’s magazine ‘Pioneer’ provided him with a first success. New orders and offers followed.
After proving to be one of the most productive and demanded artists in illustration, Kazimzade continued his collaboration with Azemashr magazine as the head of its department charged with columns for teenagers. The brightly colored illustrations that the artist made during this time were distinguished by a masterly combination of orient decorative style and European manner of figurative expression. In 1937, Kazimzade produced about 70 images with Indian ink to illustrate ‘Azerbaijani Folk Fairytales’. Other works of the time in the area included the illustrations for Abdulla Shaig’s ‘Magic Ring’, Mir Jalal’s ‘Intrigue’ and ‘Two painters’, and Mirmehdi Seyidzade’s ‘Isgender and Shepherd’.
In 1940, as many Azerbaijani artists of the time, Kazimzade contributed to the publication issued to celebrate the 800 anniversary of a great national poet Nizami Ganjavi. The painter produced a number of watercolor paintings featuring the topics from Ganjavi’s poems. ‘Shirin Watching Khosrov’s Portrait’ and the canvases illustrating ‘The Treasury of Mysteries’ were among the most successful examples. He also sketched for a carpet master Latif Kerimov who used the images as the motifs of his pictorial carpets which celebrated the oeuvre of a prominent poet.
At the outbreak of World War II, Kazim Kazimzade continued his artistic activity on the battlefront along with several of his peers. The trips he made resulted in a great number of pencil sketches in the style of realism, in particular landscapes and portraits, showing Azerbaijani courageous young men and women who struggled for their homeland. Later, the drawings served as a base for a big series entitled ‘On the Roads of War’.
During this period of time, Kazimzade was also involved in public service. In 1942, he occupied the post of a director of Azerbaijan National Museum of Art (then Azerbaijan State Museum of Art) serving in that capacity till the end of his days.
From 1944 to 1946, Kazimzade lived in Tabriz city of Iran serving in ‘Veten Yolunda’ newspaper issued by the Soviet Army. One of the series he produced for a periodical, ‘Iran’, reflected the cultural and architectural heritage of the ancient civilization and the everyday life of the local inhabitants. Although busy with the work in newspapers, Kazimzade remained true to his very first artistic activity, the illustration. He elaborated the images for the national epos ‘Dede Korkut’, worked with the oeuvre of both classical and modern authors, including Khagani Shirvani, Saadi Shirazi, Abdurrahim bey Hagverdiyev, Mirza Shall Vazeh, and Hafiz Shirazi.
The artistic activity of Kazim Kazimzade wasn’t restricted by illustrations. He also applied his skills in set design. The significant part of the works in the area was associated with the Azerbaijan State Academic Drama Theatre which Kazimzade joined in the 1940s. Since then, the artist elaborated design for a variety of the plays by national authors, including ‘Nizami’ by Mehdi Huseyn and ‘Vafa’ by Rasul Rza. He contributed his ideas for stage and costumes to cinematography as well.
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)
(Azerbaijan National Museum of Art)