Art Dubai 2025: Booth E8

16 - 20 April 2025

For Art Dubai 2025 Gazelli Art House is pleased to present a selection of works by emerging contemporary artists who capture the essence of life in present-day Azerbaijan. The exhibition explores themes of identity, memory, and the human condition as seen through the lens of a new generation of artists whose works reflect both personal and societal transformations in the South Caucasus region. Exhibiting at Art Dubai for the first time, Ulviyya Iman, Rufana Mamedova, and Ramina Saadatkhan bring fresh perspectives to the fair, while Agil Abdullayev makes a return, continuing his exploration of evolving cultural narratives.

  • Agil Abdullayev, B. 1992

    Agil Abdullayev

    B. 1992

    Agil Abdullayev is an interdisciplinary artist whose work investigates themes of identity, trauma, vulnerability, and escapism as they continuously shift through public and private memory and thoughts. Working across film, photography, and painting, Abdullayev’s practice is semi-biographical as many of their films take the point of departure from their childhood experiences and regard their personal history as a queer archive. Often manifested through their personal diary or essays, as well as closely working with the local queer community, their practice examines alter-egos and escapism. Abdullayev often revisits intimacy, self-reflection, anger, fear, and belonging to create a space of hyper-possibility where representations and narratives can be disrupted, re-articulated, and reinvented. In 2022, Abdullayev received the Seed Award from the Prince Claus Foundation and was a recipient of the Artlink Prize from SudKultur Fond. Past exhibitions include those at MoMA, Tbilisi; Istanbul Contemporary Istanbul; Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, CA; Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA; Tate, London; Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool; South London Gallery, London; and Blindspot Gallery, Hong Kong. They have participated in artist-in-residency programs such as Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Meet Factory, Cittadellarte, Goethe Institute and Artlinks CEC.

  • In their new series of paintings Abdullayev examines themes such as public and private life, gender, and the effects of social media – topics the artist has been researching since 2019. Abdullayev provides a personal portrayal of private realities, challenging preconceived notions of masculinity and social taboos in often conservative environments. The works are characterised by bold and colourful imagery, with the subjects and locations left anonymous, allowing viewers to bring their own experiences and perspectives to the table.
  • Ramina Saadatkhan, B. 1977

    Ramina Saadatkhan

    B. 1977

    Ramina Saadatkhan’s brightly colored, collaged compositions explore themes of nature, mythology, and storytelling. Working primarily in painting and photography, Saadatkhan creates immersive, mixed-media works that transport viewers to otherworldly realms. Various techniques coalesce within each piece, resulting in richly layered environments where narratives are both revealed and obscured by intricate layers of plants, foliage, and animals.

     

    Stylistically, Saadatkhan’s practice references twentieth-century art movements. Her use of printing and collage recalls Pop Art, while her bold, vibrant color palette evokes the Fauves. Biblical imagery frequently appears in her work, interwoven with abstract and recognizable elements. The interplay of these numerous components forms unified abstract patterns that echo the composition, color, and display techniques found in ancient Azerbaijani carpets and medieval miniature painting.

     

    A graduate of the A. Azimov Art School and the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts, Ramina Saadatkhan is currently based in Azerbaijan. She has exhibited internationally, including at the Carrousel du Louvre, France (2019); the International Art Exchange and Symposium, South Korea (2018); and the International Art Symposium, Cyprus (2019).

  • Ramina Saadatkhan's art is also characterised by a vibrant palette, which is merged with spontaneous creative process, reflecting her passion for experimentation. Taking a dynamic and emotion-driven approach to contemporary art, the artist looks at Azerbaijani traditions in a modern, globalized context, creating motifs that dialogue between past and present. Works such as Experiment (2025) and Evening in paradise (2023) blend mythology and opposing energies — feminine and masculine, order and chaos, human and animal, creation and destruction, whilst You smell like flowers, 2024 is infused with uninhibited energy.
  • Rufana Mamedova, B. 2000

    Rufana Mamedova

    B. 2000

    Rufana Mamedova is an emerging artist known for her vibrant and expressive artworks, blending traditional Azerbaijani culture with contemporary themes. Her practice lies at the intersection of colour and form, often experimenting with abstract and semi-abstract styles through which she explores the dynamics of movement and stillness, unique and shared aspects of humanity, freedom of imagination, and the diverse auras and colours of individuals. Mamedova represents the new generation of Azerbaijani artists who are pushing the boundaries of traditional art forms and figurative art. Her work has been included in the exhibitions Her Art In Action, Gazelli Art House, Baku (2024) and Chromatic Reveries, Gazelli Art House, Baku (2023).

  • Exhibiting in Dubai for the first time, Rufana Mamedova draws inspiration from personal experiences and emotions, capturing the internal worlds of her subjects in domestic and intimate settings. Her works, defined by their narrative building and expressive use of mixed media, underpin the complexities of human behaviour and intrigue of happenstance. Her new series of more intimate works A little alarm in a small town (2025) reflect on how even the smallest disturbances can create a ripple through the collective consciousness.
  • Ulviyya Iman, B. 2007

    Ulviyya Iman

    B. 2007

    Ulviyya Iman is a multidisciplinary artist from Azerbaijan currently based in Prague, Czech Republic. Depicting local daily scenes, her work highlights traditional and contemporary gender roles in society. Iman gathers inspiration from her trips to the regions of Azerbaijan, working both from memory and imagination. In her paintings of bright characters and food, Ulviyya explores the everyday iconography of contemporary society. Being at an early stage in her practice, Iman exhibits the potential to make a lasting impact on both the Azerbaijani and global art landscapes. Her work has been included in the exhibition Her Art In Action, Gazelli Art House, Baku (2024).

  • Similarly, the works of Ulviyya Iman direct one’s attention to Azerbaijan’s social structures and cultural norms. In detailed and highly-skilled paintings Iman captures the seeming mundanity of domestic scenes. In her triptych Nargiz Alizade (2025) the artist hones in on a single character going through pivotal and sometimes challenging moments in her daily life, ones that have shaped her reality. The subtle questioning of the values embedded in social norms presented also carries a universal resonance.
  • Ulviyya Iman, Nargiz Alizade at tutoring, Nargiz Alizade in the car, Nargiz Alizade at home, 2025 Ulviyya Iman, Nargiz Alizade at tutoring, Nargiz Alizade in the car, Nargiz Alizade at home, 2025

  • Combining a reflection on cultural memory — a shared link to the past — and an emerging social memory shaped by evolving values and generational shifts, Abdullayev, Saadatkhan, Mamedova and Iman explore distinctive visual languages to convey the narratives of today. Drawing on both the art of the past and the new sensibilities of the present, the artists explore questions of place and belonging in a visually compelling and thought-provoking way.