18TH ISLAMIC ARTS FESTIVAL IN SHARJAH (DEC 16, 2015 - JAN 16, 2016) ‘Creating Colour’ by Azerbaijani Artist Farid Rasulov

Farid Rasulov is working across a wide range of artistic media - large scale paintings, installations, 3D graphics, animation and sculpture. Though he works in a variety of media, he is perhaps most widely known for his large-scale, hyper-realistic still life paintings. A doctor by training, Rasulov suddenly became involved in the visual arts after his graduation from university, to the great surprise of his friends and family and made great strides in a relatively short period of time. As a successful artist he has represented Azerbaijan at the 53rd Venice Biennale in 2009.

His works are usually intellectually provocative. Not accidentally, this conceptual artist stubbornly denies charges of his art being multi-layered and profound. He insists that he has meant absolutely nothing, that he simply replicated the commonplace things that he saw around him. “My work is based on the fact that I do not take it seriously – and neither do I take seriously the things I portray,” says Rasulov. “I often observe how the viewers carefully scrutinize my works, searching for the hidden meaning therein. This is fascinating to watch, because what they’re looking for does not exist.”

At the Islamic Arts Festival 2015/16 in Sharjah Rasulov is presenting 'Creating Colour', a series of hand-made stained glass installations.

Farid Rasulov lives and works in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Farid Rasulov, 'Bird', Handmade Stained Glass, 132x133 cm, 2015, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Farid Rasulov, 'Bird', Handmade Stained Glass, 132x133 cm, 2015, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Farid Rasulov, 'Falling Star', Handmade Stained Glass, 140x110 cm, 2015, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Farid Rasulov, 'Falling Star', Handmade Stained Glass, 140x110 cm, 2015, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Farid Rasulov, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Farid Rasulov, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Farid Rasulov, RAM, Handmade Stained Glass, 155x75 cm, 2015, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Farid Rasulov, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Farid Rasulov, 'Bird', Handmade Stained Glass, 132x133 cm, 2015, Installation view, Sharjah / Photo © Islamic Arts Magazine

Islamic Arts Festival launched on December 16, 2015 at the Sharjah Art Museum and was inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah. See the opening HERE.

The Festival is hosting 43 exhibitions, showing 300 works by 36 artists from 17 countries. This year's theme is 'Light' and aims to show the depth and importance of Islamic Arts by presenting a contemporary interpretation of the concept. The Islamic Arts Festival runs until January 16, 2016 at the Sharjah Art Museum.