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lot 14

lot 14

Bakhodir Jalal

Memory of the Land

acrylic on canvas
47.25 x 35.5 in. (120 x 90 cm.)
painted in 1991

Bought-In

Estimate: US$ 4,000 - 6,000

Lot Closed

Lot Details

Signed and dated 'BJalal 1991' (lower right)
Further signed, titled, dated and inscribed in Russian (on the reverse)

PROVENANCE
Andakulova Gallery, Dubai

With a career spanning over 40 years, in a period of enormous cultural and historical changes in his native Uzbekistan, Bakhodir Jalal is considered one of the leading figure of art in Central Asia.

He is credited for the reinvigoration of the mural genre and in helping shape a new cultural and artistic landscape. While his influences range from architecture, mosaics, nature, as well as from more formalist elements of Western modernism, Jalal’s art practice is firmly rooted in his national heritage. He produces works that merge various techniques reflecting his country’s ancient traditions, culture, and socio-political climate.

As with his abstract works, "Memory of the Land" is characterized by its intricate details depicting mythological stories and fantasy worlds from his imagination. He used fluid forms and colors replete with traditional Uzbek ornamentation and textile motifs to express himself. Speaking about the influences on his work, Jalal says, “My father worked in an ikat factory, and those beautiful textiles opened my eyes to color and texture at an early age. I was also inspired by the beauty of the landscape..."

Bakhodir Jalal

(b.1948)
Born in Tashkent in 1948, Jalal is Uzbekistan's most renowned muralist. He completed his studies at the Republican Art College (1968) and at the St. Petersburg Repin’s Institute of Painting (1968-1974) where he graduated with honors from the Department of Monumental and Decorative Painting. He then received a grant and was allowed to travel to Italy where he studied the classics. He came back to his native Uzbekistan in the 1980s to begin his artistic career. Jalal was commissioned for several works such as “Harvest,” “Genesis of Dance” and “Chronicles of Uzbek National Theatre” by the Uzbekistan government for important public spaces. He won the USSR State Prize in 1984 and the Uzbekistan State Prize in 1991. Notable exhibition of his works were at the Russian Cultural Centre, Accra, Ghana (1985); Kortrijk, Belgium (1990); Central House of Artists, Moscow, Russia (1991); Sackville Gallery, London, UK (1997); 3rd Triennale International Exhibition, Lalit Kala Akademi, New Delhi, India (1999); 3rd Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art, Russia (2009); 7th Tashkent International Biennale of Contemporary Art, Uzbekistan (2013); and the World Art Dubai Fair (2016). Jalal's work is collected by renowned international institutions and private collections, including the British Museum, Modern Art Museum in Moscow and the National Gallery of Uzbekistan. He lives and works in Tashkent.