The Heydar Aliyev Center has presented its visitors with another exhibition of various pieces of art, AzVision.az reports.

The exhibition "First Light" by Bahraini artist Rashid Al Khalifa opened at the center on March 14.

The exhibition featured new installations by the artist.

His works - "Fish Trap", "Mosaic", "We created all living things out of water", and "Circular Reflection" were presented for the first time at the Heydar Aliyev Center. This is the artist's first exhibition in Azerbaijan.

Al Khalifa expressed satisfaction with the organization of the exhibition at the Heydar Aliyev Center, architected by Zaha Hadid.

“I’m very glad that I saw Baku, and can present my works at the Heydar Aliyev Center today. Some of the art pieces I brought were created specifically for this exhibition. I was recommended several times to visit Baku. It is a great honor for me to exhibit my works in this majestic building," the artist said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the exhibition, the First Deputy Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Fargan Novruzov noted that the center functions to promote samples of world culture.

"Today, the Heydar Aliyev Center has hosted an exhibition of Sheikh Rashid Al Khalifa who is a member of the Royal Family of Bahrain, chairman of the National Arts Council of Bahrain, the first president and honorary president of the Art Society, which is one of the brightest representatives of contemporary art. We hope you enjoy the exhibition," Novruzov said.

The Chairman of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, People's Artists Farhad Khalilov also spoke at the event.

"I was pleased to visit such an exhibition today in this magnificent building. I was lucky to meet many artists around the world and get acquainted with their work. Arab culture and science have a unique place in the world,” Khalilov said.

“This exhibition is distinguished by its unusualness. As an artist, I’m experiencing the most vivid feelings at the exhibition. I want to thank everyone who contributed to the organization of such a wonderful exhibition, especially the Heydar Aliyev Center," he noted.

The exhibition curator Stefan Stoyanov said that his biggest dream has come true.

"I visited Baku during the Festival of Poetry, Art and Spirituality - Nasimi. Then we were also in this magnificent building of the Heydar Aliyev Center, which made a huge impression on me,” Stoyanov pointed out.

He named the Heydar Aliyev Center the finest example of the architecture of the new century.

“For me, the moment I dreamed of, the exhibition of Rashid Al Khalifa organized in this building, creates a feeling of happiness," the curator added.

Another curator of the exhibition, Yasmine Sharabi, said that the exhibition features quite interesting works by the artist.

"Visitors will see an unusual setting here. They will also be able to see artifacts that celebrate the unique architectural ornaments of Bahrain, and geometric elements bearing divine patterns. Sheikh Rashid Al Khalifa creates works that combine antiquity and modernity. The works look to the future, but do not forget the past ", she said.

Al Khalifa, welcoming everyone, noted that he was glad to organize his personal exhibition in Baku.

"I would like to further expand the exchange program between Bahrain and Azerbaijan in the field of art. I thank the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and its leadership for accepting my exhibition," the artist said.

Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Anar Alakbarov highlighted the importance of organizing this exhibition in Azerbaijan’s capital.

"Organizing this magnificent exhibition at the Heydar Aliyev Center is a great opportunity for us. In the future, we’ll try to organize joint exchange exhibitions of our young sculptors and artists in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Our young sculptors and artists will also benefit from this," Alakbarov said.

Rashid Al Khalifa creates his works inspired by the nature that surrounds him. The artist's examples of art are distinguished by the unity of traditional and modern architecture with the environment.

Rashid Al Khalifa was born in 1952 into the family of the King of Bahrain. He studied art and design at Hastings College in the UK. The changes in the artist's life and surroundings, who began his career with landscape painting, also affected his chosen field.

In the 1980s, samples of ephemeral art were more common in the works of Rashid Al Khalifa, whilst in the 1990s, abstract forms and experiments with other materials, in particular the "convex canvas", typical of his work, predominated in his works, and in the 2000s, aluminum became the center of the artist's creativity.

Rashid Al Khalifa is a participant in various international exhibitions, art fairs, and biennales. He is currently the Chairman of the Bahrain Arts Council. The RAK [Rashid Al Khalifa] Art Foundation, founded by him, also provides support to young artists.

The exhibition of the artist's works at the Heydar Aliyev Center will last until September 10.

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