GAFAR RZAYEV
BOY WITH WHITE BEDSHEET*
(Ganja, Azerbaijan)
Boy with white bedsheet is a video artwork, created as an artist’s introspection on the state of forced inactivity and inner conflict that resulted from the strict social limitations during the global pandemic. The project references the dichotomy of the image of the white bedsheet: both funerary and swaddling cloth, a fabric possessing a special connection to the human body. A flag, made from the bedsheet the artist spent long days in isolation lying upon, is an attempt of sorts to find peace with the outer world, and, most importantly, with oneself. The artist climbed onto the roof of his house and raised this flag as a sign of humility and acceptance.
*Due to the conflict in the Nagorno-Karabakh region and ongoing shelling in Ganja, the artist Gafar Rzyaev will not be able to exhibit his work "Boy with White Bedsheet" in the Art Prospect Festival.
We hope for stability in the region and wish Gafar, his family, and all residents of this region peace and safety.
The video in the project description was taken in Summer 2020.
Gafar Rzayev is a street artist, painter, concept artist and graphic designer. He has taken part in multiple group exhibitions at the Artim Project Space at Yarat Contemporary Art Space in Baku, as well as public art and street art festivals. His works often reference aspects of Azerbaijani culture, both visual and social. He is based in Ganja, Azerbaijan.