Murad lives and works in Ashgabat. Since 1990 he has taken part in domestic and international exhibitions and art fairs. His works can be found in private collections in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Murad, how do you work? What technique do you use? With what materials do you create your paintings?
I paint on canvas using acrylic and oil paints. From the point of view of technology, I use lining with a palette knife, textures. I make it up as I work. I have been experimenting for many years and still do. I love technically difficult painting.
Tell us about your creative path. How did you come to what began to paint? What influenced you in choosing a profession? When did you first become interested in art?
Since my parents are artists, you can say that I grew up in a creative environment. I have had a love of art since childhood. However, I decided to paint at 20 years old. I was influenced by the paintings of our Turkmen painters.
At that time, the exhibition hall was not well known to me, and when I visited, I perceived it as a temple of art or something more. At exhibitions I got acquainted with the works of Izzat Klychev, Chary Amangeldyev, Gennady Babikov, Durdy Bayramov, and with the decorative and applied art of Turkmen artists.
I admired everything I saw. A riot of color in the paintings of Izzat Klychev captivated me. I especially remember the painting “Baluchi” – openwork letter, transfer of a hot summer, tanned faces of sitting women, decorative forms, originality of oriental looks. All this really impressed me.
Where do you get inspiration and ideas for your work? What and who inspires you?
I am inspired by my love for nature, people, and everything that attracts a person, inspires him and contributes to the birth of ideas for new works.
Who is your favorite artist? Who influenced your work?
In my youth, I loved many painters of art: Rembrandt, Rubens, Salvador Dali. I was fond of realism and surrealism while studying at school, reading materials about Salvador Dali.
I was very fascinated by the surrealistic plots of his paintings. I began to pay attention to my dreams and tried to work on these compositions: I created several works. One of these paintings, entitled “Historical Heritage”, was awarded the prize of the international organization TURKSOY in 2006.
Have there been any events in your life that influenced your work? Tell us about these time periods in your work: were there any major changes?
Life presents many surprises, sometimes very serious ones, like those that a person may not be psychologically prepared for. This, of course, affects everything with which it is associated. If before I worked more decoratively and abstractly, then lately I have been painting realism and surrealism.
A change of direction for me is rather a return. There was a case when, after the opening of my personal exhibition of abstract works, I, in an interview with an elderly artist, proudly said that I finally found my own, something that is close to me in spirit, and began to paint abstractly. To which he replied: “Your style will still change, and you will return to realism.”
It was around 2006. So, it is: I experiment and every time I discover something new for myself.
What are you working on right now? What is your creative idea, the embodiment of which you dream?
I work arbitrarily. Ideas come spontaneously. For example, I wrote a series of works with pigeons. In my youth I watched pigeons for a long time: I was always attracted by their beauty and grace. I can endlessly watch the flight of these birds.
What do you want people to feel or think when looking at your work?
I would like people to get away from everyday reality for a while and experience the world of fantasy, a world where there are so many colors and secrets, where there are no laws of physics.
Artworks by Murad Hojakuliev are available on the gallery’s website: https://bit.ly/2ESFOdJ