Caspia Contemporary Gallery Art

WEST ASIAN ART COMES TO MAYFAIR

If you’re looking to add something unique to your art collection, the impending opening of Caspia Contemporary Gallery in Mayfair this summer could present the perfect opportunity. Servanne Sohier spoke to the founders of the gallery.

THE GALLERY IS THE RESULT OF A collaboration between two Azerbaijani friends - Afsana Tahirova and Elnara Shikhlinskaya - and curator Mara Alves.

Tahirova worked on government-related projects in her home country before she moved to London to pursue a degree at the London Business School. Shikhlinskaya’s husband was also studying there, and the three remained firm friends.

An artist herself, Shikhlinskaya previously worked as a doctor but found herself painting more frequently after the birth of her second son. When she returned to Azerbaijan on holiday, the two women discussed a shared desire to showcase their homeland in London.

Once their plans for the gallery were finalised, Tahirova moved back to London from Azerbaijan to start the operations. Soon afterwards Tahirova met Alves, who was just leaving a position as the curator and manager of a Mayfair gallery, and invited her to join the Caspia team. Alves, who graduated in fine arts and curatorial studies, began her career as an artist and ran a series of art studios in her home country Portugal before moving to London.

Caspian Sea A series of private previews this March will introduce the new gallery that is bringing West Asian art to London. It will feature a selection of artists carefully chosen for the way the region has influenced their paintings.

“Our first exhibition presents the artistic treasures of the region surrounding the Caspian Sea,” explains Alves. “We have selected a small group of artists from Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan to bring to London to share their unique culture with this multicultural city.”

The gallery aspires to share how the people of Western Asia see themselves: “What they dream of, what they imagine, how they think,” outlines Tahirova. “When you look at the paintings, you know he or she has used certain concepts that are

© All images Courtesy of Caspia Contemporary Gallery

Jalal Aghayev, ‘The Amber’, Oil on canvas (2017), 73 x 131 cm

Caspia Contemporary Gallery is the result of a collaboration between Elnara Shikhlinskaya (left), Mara Alves (middle) and Afsana Tahirova (right)

coming from the history of Azerbaijan, and Iran, for example,” she teases.

“You will see the music represented somehow, of the region. You will see the fairy tales, the mythology of the region represented with their different characters.”

The colours used in West Asian art are very different, notes Shikhlinskaya. “Colour is one of the most important aspects of art in our region,” she says. West Asian artists use a special palette of colours that are very emotive and vibrant - but it’s the way that they put the colours together that is so unique.

“But of course it is not just about that,” Shikhlinskaya adds. “It’s about all the background that is behind the art; all the storytelling that you see in the painting, done in a very contemporary way.” With Caspia Gallery, Tahirova and Shikhlinskaya have realised their shared ambition of representing their country and culture in London.

A gap in the London art scene “I lived in London for four years, and I noticed that the map of Western Asia in London art industry is almost blank,” Shikhlinskaya says. “There’s not enough artists from these countries in London. They are not well represented. I knew we needed to bring undiscovered artists to London. It would be good for artists and for developing the art industry as well. We wanted to do something big in the industry: to bring undiscovered and unique talents and styles.”

The pair researched for the best part of a year and realised there was a serious gap in London’s art scene. “It’s a huge opportunity for us to be the pioneers and to become that knowledge centre that brings the culture of that region to London,” Tahirova adds.

Their friends and family could also see the opportunity, and invested in the team.

“There were investors from outside,” Tahirova recalls. “We talked to them, but we’re very careful with taking money from outsiders because we really value our vision and our brand, and we don’t want someone else from the outside coming in and telling us what to do.”

They decided to stick with funding from friends and family. “So far it’s working out,” she adds.

Once the idea for Caspia Contemporary Gallery was cemented, it was time to focus on the portfolio. “We started talking with artists in Azerbaijan, we were connected to top artists in Iran, then we talked to people in Turkey, and then we were connected to Uzbekistan,” recalls Tahirova. “Then we needed to find the next person who was going to help us, and that’s how we met Mara.”

Mara Alves moved to London when she developed a project with Portuguese artists in 2015. She was then invited to run the D-Contemporary gallery in Mayfair, where she became the curator

© All images Courtesy of Caspia Contemporary Gallery

Top left: Vugar Muradov, ‘The Guitar Player’, Oil on canvas (2007), 135 x 117 cm; Above: Hajimirza Farzaliyev, ‘The Flute Player’, Oil on canvas (1994), 185 x 220 cm; Bottom left: Emin Gahramanov, ‘The lady and the dog’, Oil on canvas (2012), 100 x 120 cm

“They all share the same dream: to express their culture through art, crossing borders and boundaries with their visions and stories.”

and manager. It was when she was finishing the stint as chief curator and advisor for this gallery that she met Tahirova and Shikhlinskaya.

“I talked to Elnara,” Tahirova remembers. “I said: I found this girl; I really like her. I think we should go ahead and meet her. She’s leaving the gallery, and she’s not going to another job, so why not bring her on board?”

Alves explains: “The first thing that drove me was about the concept itself: a new project bringing a new culture to the arts, to the London art scene. I mean, I’m all about that. I’m all about doing projects, new ideas, new cultures, because I do believe that art has that purpose -- to bring new concepts, new messages, to break boundaries. Because there is no such thing. More than ever, we need to break that [idea of boundaries], and we need to present true culture. Our differences has a way to evolve somehow.”

Speaking of the second factor that sparked her enthusiasm, Alves mentions the potential of the artists selected. “It wouldn’t make sense for me to be working with something that didn’t mean something to me in terms of quality and technique and everything that is really true to an artist and the artwork and the creative process,” she says.

Undiscovered artists Tahirova believes it’s the authenticity of the culture, and its art, that will set Caspia apart from other spaces in Mayfair. The gallery’s willingness to showcase artists who’ve never had their work displayed in London before is daring, she says, explaining that the gallery will be very active and interactive with its clients.

“We will be unveiling undiscovered artists who have had successful careers, but are yet to be shown in London,” she explains.

“All of our artists have the same passion: painting - one of the most ancient forms of art. They all share the same dream: to express their culture through art, crossing borders and boundaries with their visions and stories.”

Guests of the private previews can expect events to feel like an art salon. The gallery will draw art lovers, collectors and philosophers from different areas together in an artistic environment to encourage artistic discussion. “We’re not going to be an average gallery in Mayfair,” Tahirova adds. In the summer its doors will open to the public, with a launching exhibition that will showcase five artists (all pictured in this feature). It will be followed by a double-solo exhibition. In its second year, the team hopes Caspia Contemporary Gallery will give continuity whilst developing collaborative projects that span multiple cultures. It’s likely this could involve some mid-career well-known English artists who are inspired by West Asian culture as the gallery makes a bridge between them and the art from West Asia. www.caspiacontemporary.com

Caspia Contemporary Gallery officially opens on 24 June 2018 at Herrick Gallery - 93 Piccadilly, Mayfair, London W1J 7NQ. Exclusive previews will be held on 6 - 15 March 2018 in Central London. For more information: art@caspiacontemporary.com

Larisa Davatz, ‘The kingdom of butterflies’, Oil on canvas (2017), 152 x 101 cm