on linen — Leyla Rzayeva

The critical and creative components of my projects use digitized slide film taken by my father in the 90s in Pamir, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan as a link between the past and the present. The unifying elements - textiles, ribbon, ceramics, and book cloth - delineate parts of the world and the dislocated cultural identities and unite those materials and their makers.

My work looks to understand the role of people relating to a place and reverse expectations of Orientalism connected to artists from Azerbaijan, West Asia and Central Asian diaspora.

^{Holding Hands, 2024
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 12x16 inches}
^{Tourist, 2024
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 12x16 inches}^{Study, 2024
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on board
Dimensions: 6x8 inches}

^{Untitled, 2024
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 11x14 inches}

^{Winged Rock, 2023
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 7x18 inches}

^{Close, 2023
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 7x18 inches

Ties, 2022
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 36 x 48 inches

Field of Games, 2023
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 24x30 inches}

^{Earth Takes, 2020
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on canvas
Dimensions: 12x16 inches

Hearts of Fruit, 2023
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 24x30 inches

Ritual, 2022
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 22x22 inches}

^{Close as a Sister, Common as Grass 2022

Medium: Painting

Materials: oil on linen

Dimensions: 20x30 inches}

^{The Photographer, 2022
Medium: Painting

Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 18 x 31 inches}

^{Karachay Pony, 2023
Medium: Painting
Materials: oil on linen
Dimensions: 22x22 inches}