Elmira Shahtakhtinskaya – 90

Abstract

The paper is dedicated to 90 th anniversary of the national artist of Azerbaijan Elmira Shahtakhtinskaya who immensely contributed to artistic culture of the country in XX century. First part of the paper describes youth period of artist, her education and initial period of creativity as poster artist. Middle part of the article analyses formation of painter’s personal creative artistic language. A number of creativity stages are being reviewed. Genres in which searches of her idiolect are described. The last part of the paper reviews the main theme of Skahtakhtinskaya’s creativity – series of works “Azerbaijan – the country of ancient culture”. Poster, landscape, portrait here are reimagined into new, synthetic genre of modern Azeri miniature – not by its size, but essence. Painter finds her personal graphic language, decorative, emotional, and emanating from national form. This series became a visual encyclopedia of culture and the history of Azeri nation, encyclopedia of its best representatives, who contributed to the world culture.