Makhtumkuli Fragi is a great poet and philosopher of Turkmenistan, who left an indelible mark on the history and culture of his people. His work not only inspired his contemporaries, but also continues to influence many generations of Turkmen and other peoples of Central Asia. However, despite the great importance of his legacy, the appearance of Makhtumkuli remained unknown, which made the task of creating his canonical portrait extremely difficult.
Aykhan Khadzhiev, a young and talented artist, became the winner of the competition to create a picturesque image of the poet and thinker Makhtumkuli. He faced a difficult task: how to convey the personality traits that no one has seen, but that everyone knows and respects? Khadzhiev started his work with incredible enthusiasm and dedication.
To create the portrait, he conducted research, compared various sources, talked with the poet’s relatives and studied his works in depth. This painstaking process allowed Khadzhiev to get into the spirit of the times and the inner world of Makhtumkuli. The result of his work was a portrait that immediately became a masterpiece and went down in history. It was in this image of the poet and philosopher Makhtumkuli Fragi that the world recognized.
This portrait, recognized back in 1947 as the best artistic embodiment of the image of Makhtumkuli Fraga, became the standard, the starting point for many other paintings, sculptures and graphic images of Makhtumkuli, as well as for the images of the classic poet created in the Turkmen theater and cinema. The author of the painting was only 23 years old when he was working on it.
In one of the halls of the State Museum of Fine Arts of Turkmenistan, this canonical portrait of Makhtumkuli Fraga by the National Artist of Turkmenistan Aykhan Khadzhiev has been exhibited for many years. Time has no power over her: the painting is alive and relevant, because even decades after its creation, it touches and excites, makes you look at the image of the great poet, think and reflect on his fate.
Makhtumkuli is depicted on canvas at a moment of creative inspiration. We have a strong, integral nature in front of us — a man of tireless creative work. The poet is depicted sitting in a Turkmen caravan, on a dark red Tekin carpet, at a low oriental table. He seemed to be distracted from the manuscript for a moment and froze in thought. The painter managed to reflect the state of the poet’s soul when beautiful lines of poetry are born in it.
Aykhan Hadjiev left an indelible mark on the history of Turkmen art. His works, filled with life and energy, continue to inspire and delight the audience. The portrait of Makhtumkuli, created by Khadzhiev, became a symbol of love and respect for the great poet and philosopher, as well as evidence that even an unknown appearance can be recreated with incredible accuracy and strength if a real master takes up the task.
