Abdullayev’s paintings are a reflection of personal experiences, relationships and societal pressures relating to conformity and the mistreatment of the LGBTQ+ community in the region. The writings are artist’s own poems/musings with titles of the works often serving as departure points for the discussion. Several months ago, Abdullayev and a few of his friends were subject to a violent hate crime, the mental impact of which resulted in this new body of work, highlighting objects and stories that the artist is dealing with on his way to recovery. Simultaneously, the paintings play around with the representation of his identity within the post-digital age as well as softened masculinity. The paintings come alive with the charisma of both Abdullayev and his alter egos, before and after the attack.