Vajiha Samadova

Vajiha Samadova (Vəcihə Əli qızı Səmədova; 24 November 1924 – 24 October 1965) ) was Azerbaijan's first professional female painter and was honored as a Distinguished Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR in 1964. Shortly after her passing, her name was immortalized by dedicating a gallery hall in the Azerbaijan Artists Union to her memory. Presently, four of Vajiha Samedova's artworks are preserved and safeguarded within the collection of the Azerbaijan State Art Gallery.

Life
Vajiha Samadova was born in 1924 in the family of confectioner Karbalayi Ali and housewife Rubaba Samadova. Vajiha's father was Karbalayi Ali, an Azerbaijani from Kars. Together with his brother, he moved to Yerevan and from there to Baku, where he met Mrs. Rubaba. Mrs. Rubaba was from an Azerbaijani family who came from Qom, Iran. Although the couple had children other than Vajiha, only Vajiha and her sister Solmaz were able to reach adulthood. Vajiha Samadova's childhood years were spent in Icherisheher. Since she was interested in drawing from a young age, her father bought her drawing books containing drawings of famous artists. After finishing the 7th grade of secondary school, in 1939, she entered the Azerbaijan State Art School named after Azim Azimzadeh. Until 1944, Vajiha Samedova continued her education and it was during this time at the Azim Azimzadeh Azerbaijan State School of Painting that she met her future spouse and mentor, Latif Feyzullayev. After completing her school with distinction, she continued her education at the Surikov Institute of Painting in Moscow. L. Feyzullayev, who had an interrupted education due to the war, also came to Moscow to complete his studies, and soon after, they started a family life together. On November 1, 1945, their first child, Nijat, was born in Baku. After a one-year break, Vajiha Samadova resumed her education and completed her studies in 1949, returning to Baku.

In 1951, she successfully defended her diploma work titled "Among the Students of Azerbaijani Composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov." Under the guidance of her mentor Pavel Korin, she continued her education for three more years as a postgraduate student. Later, she received an offer to teach at the institute where she studied. However, with her son turning 7 years old, Vajiha Samedova decided to return to Baku and embark on independent creative work. She became Azerbaijan's first professional female painter. After returning to her homeland, she began working as a teacher at the Azim Azimzadeh School of Painting. Due to financial difficulties in the early years, she lived for a while in her ancestral home in Icherisheher. In 1958, after the construction of the Artists' House was completed, they were provided with an apartment there, where the painter's studio was also situated.

In 1962, Vajiha Samedova was given a separate studio. However, before being able to engage in creative work for many years, she fell seriously ill.

Creativity
Between 1957 and 1963, these were the most productive years of Samedova's creative activity. During this period, she created interesting works such as "Wedding in Lenkeran," "Preparation for the Celebration," and "Song." In 1962, Vajiha

Samadova's creative examination in Bulgaria spurred the development of a new direction in her art. Some of her works from this series include "At Sofia Market," "Old Bulgarian Women," "Plovdiv Rocks," "Turkish Girl," "Tarnovo," "Seascape of Sozopol," among others.

Vajiha Samadova, along with her colleague and husband Latif Feyzullayev, explored Azerbaijan thoroughly during their creative examinations. As a result, she produced thematic paintings such as "In the Cradle of the Kur," "Song," "In Anticipation," "Preparation for the Celebration," series of landscapes like "Qoshqar Pastures," "Blue Lake," "Kepaz," "On the Kur Shores," portraits of "Actress Leyla Badirbeyli," "Cotton Picking Woman," "Portrait of Shamama Huseynova," "Portrait of Geologist Minire Mammadbayli," and more.

Vajiha Samadova holds a special place for portraits in her artistic career. In 1953, she painted a portrait of actress Leyla Badirbeyli, which has been exhibited in the National Art Museum of Azerbaijan for 59 years. Her portrait works include examples like "Self-portrait," "Portrait of Actress Leyla Badirbeyli," "Portrait of Sureyya Karimova," "Portrait of Sohbat Ibrahimova," "Young Violinist," "Portrait of Geologist Minure Mammadbayli," and others.

Her last painting, "Awaiting News," was created in 1963. This artwork was displayed at the "Our Contemporaries" exhibition held in Baku in 1963. The painting depicts people waiting for news while standing on the shore and fishermen. It conveys a sense of tension before an imminent disaster. This tension is most visible on the face of the woman in the foreground. Vajiha's son, Nijat Feyzullayev, states that this woman is an image of his mother. She captured this image when she was warned about her severe and incurable illness.

Death
In 1962, Vajiha Samadova was diagnosed with cancer. Her doctor suggested an operation to amputate her arm to prolong her life, but it would have meant ending her artistic career. However, the artist declined this option. As a result, her condition worsened. Although she underwent surgery in Moscow later, it was already too late. In 1965, just a month shy of her 41st birthday, Vajiha Samadova passed away. Despite being offered a place in the Alley of Honor by the Central Committee in Fakhri Khiyaban, according to her wishes, she was buried in a Muslim cemetery. Soon after her death, her name was immortalized by being presented in the exhibition hall of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan.

Following her death, her husband Latif Feyzullayev created paintings dedicated to her memory, including "Old Cemetery," "Solitary Grave," "Portrait of the Painter Vajiha Samadova," and "Morning. "

Awards
Honorary title of "Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR" — June 29, 1964

National painting certificate of Azerbaijan

He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Azerbaijan Union of Artists and the chairman of the Painting Section (1960).

Exhibitions
In 1962, a solo exhibition was held in Baku. His works such as "Old Bulgarian women", "Market in Sofia", "Rainy day" are exhibited here, where he painted impressions of his trip to Bulgaria. The next exhibitions are held in Moscow and Sofia.

In 1963, the work "Waiting for News" was exhibited at the "Our Modern" exhibition.

On July 14, 2018, the "Tandem of Love" exhibition, consisting of the works of Latif Feyzullayev and Vajiha Samadova, was held in the Palace of Festivals and Congresses within the "Azerbaijani Culture Days" organized by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Cannes, France.

In February 2020, an exhibition of 40 works of the couple was held at the "Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Baku" exhibition hall with the support of the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan.

Memory
The exhibition hall of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, located in the center of Baku, has been named after Vajiha Samadova, the Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, since 1965. Her son, film director Nijat Feyzullayev, produced a documentary film commissioned by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism that portrays his mother's life and artistic contributions. The premiere of the film titled "The Queen of Azerbaijani Painting" took place on September 29, 2010, at the International Mugham Center in Baku.

Currently, four artworks by Vajiha Samadova are preserved and stored in the collection of the Azerbaijan State Art Gallery.