Ali Shamsi

Born in 1964 in Azerbaijan in a small village at the foot of the Caucasus Mountains on the 

banks of a river.

My first canvas were rocks, my first brush - a nail. I was scratching images of women on the 

rocks. Nudes, obviously.

Then one day the villagers' patience had run out. I found myself in a courtyard full of 

indignant people and was put in front of my creations. 

My father did not let the crowd to mock me: "Take the rocks to the river, leave them there 

but put them with the picture side down". 

Thus I had discovered F a i t h.

When I was in my fourth grade we moved to Baku. I was placed in a boarding school 

which provided some art education. The school's Islam Mualem was patiently hammering 

into me the basics of drawing. I wasn't the most grateful disciple. For the time being. 

Until such time when the Master would forgive me for my boyish prank.

Thus I learned L o y a l t y.

At one time I lived in a monastery near Kharkov where I was painting icons harassing the 

prior with some provocative questions. 

I had learnt the price of  T o l e r a n c e  in there.

1981 - 1985. Azerbaijan State Institute of Arts. 

Member of the Artists' Union of Azerbaijan since 1985 

Exhibitions. 

First exhibition in 1995 in Baku

1998 - solo exhibition, Dresden, Germany

2006 - solo exhibition, Houston, USA

2007 - solo exhibition, Riga, Latvia

2008 - solo exhibition, Baku, Azerbaijan

2009 - solo exhibition, Berlin, Germany

2009 - represented Azerbaijan in the project "Art for Tolerance" - «United buddy Bears»

2010 - solo exhibition in Dubai

2010 - Evening exhibition at the Russian Information and Cultural Centre, Baku

 

2011 - solo exhibition, Paris, France

2012 - solo exhibition, Normandy, France

2013 - solo exhibition in Italy

2014 - solo exhibition devoted to Himalayan mountains, Baku, Azerbaijan

2016 - solo exhibition, England, London 

2017 – exhibition at Galerie Berlin-Baku