These 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 Pretties series. Restricting himself to pale blues paired with deep violets, navy and burgundy, Resting, Hugging
and Standing 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.