{"title":"Agil Abdullayev","description":"\u003cp\u003eTales from the Caucasus Artworks\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-pretties-from-south-caucasus-ii","title":"Pretties from South Caucasus (II)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree brightly coloured, highly saturated figurative paintings, Agil Abdullayev’s series ‘\u003cem\u003ePretties from South Caucasus\u003c\/em\u003e’ (2024) situates the artists’ personal experience within a wider cultural context of performed identity. The simplified soft and curving motifs of cars and plants, plus the suggestive pose of the central fluorescent pink male figure, speak to the confluence of masculine and feminine. In the context of the conservative social norms of Abdullayev’s home country of Azerbaijan these playful paintings are also provocative and challenging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough bold colour, graphic outlines and a flat treatment of space Abdullayev carves out a queer alternate space reminiscent of a cartoon environment. These, however, are not utopian idealised environments. In the anonymity of the central character and the cultural allusions to social media, emojis and gay porn, the Pretties series considers how gestures and codes create bonds within subcultures but also conceal much. Largely naked with their faces hidden by mobile phones, these figures simultaneously reveal and withhold their identity. Abdullayev prompts us to consider the different versions of ourselves we present to the world, and to question the essence of identity that lies beneath exterior performance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53085874979143,"sku":"AAV0021","price":8000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/DSC0345-EditHR_28f40fe9-1ad5-4f9b-841e-02b246301490.jpg?v=1769171364"},{"product_id":"farhad-farzali-pretties-from-south-caucasus-iii","title":"Pretties from South Caucasus (III)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree brightly coloured, highly saturated figurative paintings, Agil Abdullayev’s series ‘\u003cem\u003ePretties from South Caucasus\u003c\/em\u003e’ (2024) situates the artists’ personal experience within a wider cultural context of performed identity. The simplified soft and curving motifs of cars and plants, plus the suggestive pose of the central fluorescent pink male figure, speak to the confluence of masculine and feminine. In the context of the conservative social norms of Abdullayev’s home country of Azerbaijan these playful paintings are also provocative and challenging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough bold colour, graphic outlines and a flat treatment of space Abdullayev carves out a queer alternate space reminiscent of a cartoon environment. These, however, are not utopian idealised environments. In the anonymity of the central character and the cultural allusions to social media, emojis and gay porn, the Pretties series considers how gestures and codes create bonds within subcultures but also conceal much. Largely naked with their faces hidden by mobile phones, these figures simultaneously reveal and withhold their identity. Abdullayev prompts us to consider the different versions of ourselves we present to the world, and to question the essence of identity that lies beneath exterior performance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53085893787975,"sku":"AAV0022","price":8000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/DSC0343-EditHR.jpg?v=1769172510"},{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-pretties-from-south-caucasus-i","title":"Pretties from South Caucasus (I)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree brightly coloured, highly saturated figurative paintings, Agil Abdullayev’s series ‘\u003cem\u003ePretties from South Caucasus\u003c\/em\u003e’ (2024) situates the artists’ personal experience within a wider cultural context of performed identity. The simplified soft and curving motifs of cars and plants, plus the suggestive pose of the central fluorescent pink male figure, speak to the confluence of masculine and feminine. In the context of the conservative social norms of Abdullayev’s home country of Azerbaijan these playful paintings are also provocative and challenging.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThrough bold colour, graphic outlines and a flat treatment of space Abdullayev carves out a queer alternate space reminiscent of a cartoon environment. These, however, are not utopian idealised environments. In the anonymity of the central character and the cultural allusions to social media, emojis and gay porn, the Pretties series considers how gestures and codes create bonds within subcultures but also conceal much. Largely naked with their faces hidden by mobile phones, these figures simultaneously reveal and withhold their identity. Abdullayev prompts us to consider the different versions of ourselves we present to the world, and to question the essence of identity that lies beneath exterior performance.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53085896343879,"sku":"AAV0020","price":8000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/DSC0341-EditHR.jpg?v=1769172424"},{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-resting-2025","title":"Resting","description":"\u003cp\u003eThese four recent small paintings by Abdullayev demonstrate a change in approach for the artist. Working in oil rather than the acrylic favoured in his earlier work, Abdullayev’s palette is considerably darker and more muted than his \u003cem\u003ePretties\u003c\/em\u003e series. Restricting himself to pale blues paired with deep violets, navy and burgundy, \u003cem\u003eResting\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHugging\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eStanding\u003c\/em\u003e depict three encounters between two men, whilst Waiting shows the lower half of a seated singular figure. The sense of intimacy in these four moments is amplified by the small scale of the paintings and the close-cropped viewpoint. In each work the figures materialise from their surroundings as the use of colour unifies them with their environment. Part of Adbullayev’s wider artistic investigations into 'cruising’ culture in his film projects, these vignettes approach the subject with a sensitivity and emotional intensity, likely born from Adbyllayev’s own experiences, as well as those of men he interviewed to support his research for this project.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53087013404999,"sku":"AAV0028","price":1800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/DSC0329-EditHR.jpg?v=1769170955"},{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-standing-2025","title":"Standing","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThese four recent small paintings by Abdullayev demonstrate a change in approach for the artist. Working in oil rather than the acrylic favoured in his earlier work, Abdullayev’s palette is considerably darker and more muted than his \u003cem\u003ePretties\u003c\/em\u003e series. Restricting himself to pale blues paired with deep violets, navy and burgundy, \u003cem\u003eResting\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHugging\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eStanding\u003c\/em\u003e depict three encounters between two men, whilst Waiting shows the lower half of a seated singular figure. The sense of intimacy in these four moments is amplified by the small scale of the paintings and the close-cropped viewpoint. In each work the figures materialise from their surroundings as the use of colour unifies them with their environment. Part of Adbullayev’s wider artistic investigations into 'cruising’ culture in his film projects, these vignettes approach the subject with a sensitivity and emotional intensity, likely born from Adbyllayev’s own experiences, as well as those of men he interviewed to support his research for this project.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53087013437767,"sku":"AAV0029","price":1800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/DSC0331-EditHR.jpg?v=1769171054"},{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-hugging-2025","title":"Hugging","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThese four recent small paintings by Abdullayev demonstrate a change in approach for the artist. Working in oil rather than the acrylic favoured in his earlier work, Abdullayev’s palette is considerably darker and more muted than his \u003cem\u003ePretties\u003c\/em\u003e series. Restricting himself to pale blues paired with deep violets, navy and burgundy, \u003cem\u003eResting\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHugging\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eStanding\u003c\/em\u003e depict three encounters between two men, whilst Waiting shows the lower half of a seated singular figure. The sense of intimacy in these four moments is amplified by the small scale of the paintings and the close-cropped viewpoint. In each work the figures materialise from their surroundings as the use of colour unifies them with their environment. Part of Adbullayev’s wider artistic investigations into 'cruising’ culture in his film projects, these vignettes approach the subject with a sensitivity and emotional intensity, likely born from Adbyllayev’s own experiences, as well as those of men he interviewed to support his research for this project.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53087016649031,"sku":"AAV0030","price":2000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/DSC0333-EditHR.jpg?v=1769171118"},{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-radicals-in-between-trees-and-dicks","title":"Radicals in Between Trees and Dicks","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eIn Agil Abdullayev's three-channel video, trees are both trusted and protective protagonists. \u003cem\u003eRadicals Between Trees and Dicks\u003c\/em\u003e (2024) is the outcome of several years of research into queer cruising culture in Azerbaijan and neighboring countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia region. The term ‘cruising’ refers to the pursuit of sexual encounters between homosexual men in public spaces such as parks, or discreetly designated private spaces. Over the past five years, Abdullayev visited around thirty such sex spaces, documenting their own observations and recording the experiences of others in interviews, conversations, and visual recordings. The research dealt with the various facets of cruising in profoundly repressive societies in which homosexuality is still highly taboo and people are exposed to severe discrimination and violence due to their sexual orientation. In the resulting film Abdullayev blends elements of autobiography, reportage, choreography and sound design to create an intimate and joyful meditation on danger, desire and belonging.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53131668193607,"sku":"AAV0034","price":20000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/DSC0226HR.jpg?v=1769607695"},{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-waiting-2025","title":"Waiting","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eThese four recent small paintings by Abdullayev demonstrate a change in approach for the artist. Working in oil rather than the acrylic favoured in his earlier work, Abdullayev’s palette is considerably darker and more muted than his \u003cem\u003ePretties\u003c\/em\u003e series. Restricting himself to pale blues paired with deep violets, navy and burgundy, \u003cem\u003eResting\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHugging\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eStanding\u003c\/em\u003e depict three encounters between two men, whilst Waiting shows the lower half of a seated singular figure. The sense of intimacy in these four moments is amplified by the small scale of the paintings and the close-cropped viewpoint. In each work the figures materialise from their surroundings as the use of colour unifies them with their environment. Part of Adbullayev’s wider artistic investigations into 'cruising’ culture in his film projects, these vignettes approach the subject with a sensitivity and emotional intensity, likely born from Adbyllayev’s own experiences, as well as those of men he interviewed to support his research for this project.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53184912458055,"sku":"AAV0027","price":1800.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/DSC0327-EditHR.jpg?v=1769170878"},{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-samad-vurgun-around-2","title":"Samad Vurgun (Around 2)","description":"\u003cp\u003eA series of four large scale oil paintings, Agil Abdullayev’s park series explores themes of identity, gender, intimacy and vulnerability. Rooting Abdullayev’s practice in deeply personal experiences, these works engage with queer cruising culture, specifically within the conservative context of Azerbaijan, the artist’s native country. Confronting the expectations of masculinity and the social taboos surrounding homosexuality, the park represents simultaneously a space of expression and concealment. Subjects and locations are left anonymous as the painting invites viewers to project their own interpretations. Trees and plants are depicted in bold sweeping slabs of colour that create a surreal, dreamlike space. Although the visual  environment is non-specific and abstracted, the titles of the works denote the exact time and location of each painting. Whilst these spaces might not be immediately familiar to the viewer, for the artist they represent an awakening - memories of a transformative period in his life where the park altered from a space of innocence to one of risk, danger, desire, possibility, and liberation. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53225605038407,"sku":"AAV0025","price":12400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/AAV0025-image.jpg?v=1769608446"},{"product_id":"agil-abdullayev-samad-vurgun-red-hoodie","title":"Samad Vurgun (Red Hoodie)","description":"\u003cp\u003eA series of four large scale oil paintings, Agil Abdullayev’s park series explores themes of identity, gender, intimacy and vulnerability. 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Whilst these spaces might not be immediately familiar to the viewer, for the artist they represent an awakening - memories of a transformative period in his life where the park altered from a space of innocence to one of risk, danger, desire, possibility, and liberation. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53225634005319,"sku":"AAV0026","price":12400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/AAV0026-image.jpg?v=1769608396"},{"product_id":"narimanov-park-around-4","title":"Narimanov Park (Around 4)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Agil Abdullayev","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53233947836743,"sku":"AAV0023","price":12400.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0901\/4257\/2871\/files\/AAV0023-image_1.jpg?v=1771856201"}],"url":"https:\/\/art.gazelliarthouse.com\/collections\/farhad-farzali.oembed","provider":"Gazelli Art House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}