British sculptor opens exhibition in Baku

/By AzerNews/

By Amina Nazarli

Famous British sculptor Richard Deacon has presented his solo exhibition entitled “On the Other Side” at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku on December 18.

The event was attended by prominent public figures, representatives of culture, creative young people, and foreign guests. Rector of the Baku Academy of Arts Omar Eldarov also visited the exhibition.

Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Anar Alakbarov addressed the opening ceremony, saying that the Center has become the favorite place for many visitors. 2014 saw the exhibitions of such artists as Tony Cragg, Bernard Buff, as well as presented exhibitions "Grace Kelly: Style Icon, and Princess," "Journey into Space", car shows and others.

“Today we present the exhibition of Richard Deacon, over which a team of Heydar Aliyev Center has worked for several years. I would like to note that this exhibition is one of the most important exhibitions for us. The exhibition, which will run until July 15, 2016 features 39 works by Richard Deacon,” he said.

Monumental, relatively small works made from wood, metal and ceramics as well as organic examples and accurately trimmed constructions will be on display.

The sculptor thanked Azerbaijan’s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and Vice-President of the Foundation Leyla Aliyeva for organizing the exhibition.

Richard Deacon was born in Bangor, Wales and lives and works in London. He won the Turner Prize in 1987.

For over 40 years of creativity, Deacon quickly made a name for himself as an artist deeply committed to material.

He works with ceramics, metal, wood, resin, paper, glass, plastic, leather and cloth and is a self-proclaimed fabricator. His sculptures never seek to hide technical operations behind them, including assemblage, riveting, torsion, stretching, folding or strapping.

The creator of approximately thirty monumental-sized sculptures designed for urban or natural settings, Richard Deacon has also produced a multitude of medium-sized sculptures, works ranging from the human body’s scale to workshop height and smaller formats.

His pieces are a direct invitation into the physical experience of sculpted object and a sensitive approach to material, their modes of fabrication and setting.