They are siblings but go different ways in life and art and have different surnames: one of them bears the surname of father, and another – of grandfather. At the same time, both of them grew and were educated in Zarabag village of Sherabad district in Surkhandarya region. The parents of Nurullah Hudoimunodov and Nanzullah Habullaev are very modest. The sons inherited their character but have different world vision, art views and ways of life.
The younger brother – Nurullah Hudoimurodov started his art education at Republican Art School by P. Benkov (nowadays Republican Art College) in class of Madhiddin Umarov. Then he studied at Institute of Painting and Sculpture by I. Repin in Saint Petersburg. His teachers were famous N. Suzdanov, B. Lavrenko and B. Ugarov. In February, 1994 he participated in exhibition “Cities of the world” at the invitation of Romana Masnoy from Paris. Nurullah Hudoimurodov represented sixteen works and won the silver medal together with Narl Pavano from Brasilia (Gold medal was given nobody). The exhibited works of “My courtyard”, “Old Tashkent”, “Petersburg sketches”, “Rainy day”, “Nevsky prospect”, “Paris”, “Luxembourg garden”, “Hamburg”, “Seine” and “Eiffel Tower” had been created for two previous years.
The young artist came under a spell of Paris – Seine and Montmartre, Notre-Dame, Louvre, Eiffel Tower, pictures of impressionists, Museum D’Orse… He stayed in France to sketch. In 1997 Nurullah took trip to Germany. There he had worked for six months and held a personal exhibition in Hamburg.
The same year he returned to Saint Petersburg and became a member of United Artists. In 1997-1998 the artist went to France again to visit places of great С Corot. He was working and exhibiting in Aries, Marseilles, Monte Carlo and many other cities. Coral beaches and azure sea bewitched the young artist. His works, as if accompanied by melodies of Bach, Chopin and Mozart, were sold. The artist have only their photos. European trips became a true school for the artist’s becoming. Nevertheless Nurullah wrote: “I pictured many works there, but suddenly realized that melodies of native makoms became dear to me. I needed to return to my native land otherwise I could not create new works”. In 2000 he came back to Zarabag. In 2002 he became a member of Art Association at the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan.
However, happy story of numerous trips was not so happy as it could seem at first sight. Unexpected success was accompanied by lack of money, truth was neighbored by lies. In spite of all that, the young artist remained stuck to his way. By words of Ruzy Choriev, Nurullah never aspired to walk over. On the contrary, difficulties sharpened his spirit and formed own world vision.
Studying Europe, Nurullah visited the native land of great artists: Van Gogh, Cezanne, Rembrandt and Velazquez. He met and communicated with artists of different avant-garde directions. The artist told: “From memory I pictured my father and mother and some oriental motifs. I tend to realistic direction. I tried in avant-garde – my colleagues liked the works but I did not. It was not from heart However, when in Zarabag I was working at “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh, I suddenly understood much. I enjoy realizing difference between realistic interpretation of the world and, for example, expressionistic”.
In Europe Nurullah was missing home, but did not address themes connected with it. Having returned he survived delightful moments of love for his native land. He visited all dear places of his childhood and started to picture portraits of countrymen, relatives and friends, landscapes and scenes of everyday life. Tours to the Kughitang and Shahimardan mountains were fruitful as well.
Nurullah pays much attention to details, creating integral picture of life. Looking at “My courtyard. Winter” (2005), we feel that the artist’s world is full of sadness and pure as water. His sight is full of love and mercy. The same courtyard was drawn by his brother -Narzullah Habullaev to whom we are addressing later. 2002-2005 were very fruitful for Nurullah. His colors have blossomed and become brighter. In particular, pictures from “Zarabag” series – “Spring in Zarabag”, “Road in Zarabag” and “Zarabag. Mill” embodied melancholy of the artist and eternal values. “Autumn in Shahimardan”, “Jardan Mountains”, “Lake in Shahimardan”, “Spring in Kughitang”, “Sunflowers” and “Kupqari” distinguish by soft and quiet colors. Nurullah works a little in portrait genre. “Portrait of mother” exposes a nice and generous woman.
While Nurullah lives and works in Zarabag, his brother Narzullah Habullaev lives in Tashkent. Unlike the brother he prefers to work from memory but not from nature. “My courtyard” illustrates that. Narzullah by heart knows the courtyard where he spent childhood. Each detail lives in his heart and mind. The picture tells about tired and exhausted man in whose courtyard sorrows and melancholy are dominating. The artist says: “I prefer ochre, brown and grey colors”. These colors create the mood of depression and sorrow which are especially accented in “Lovely courtyard”, “Autumn”, “Song of Fall” and “Magic night”. Sad melodies of his childhood were reflected in “Street of my childhood”, “Gate” and “Mulberries in Zarabag”. Quite the contrary, the series of “Bukhara”, “Landscape of Khiva” and “Sukok” are full of delight and amazement.
The works of Narzullah as if sound musically that gives evidence for his high artistic skills. The same property characterized the works of deceased S. Abdurashidov whom Narzullah considers a spiritual teacher. Narzullah Habullaev graduated from Institute of Theatre and Art (nowadays National Institute of Applied Arts and Design by K. Bihzad), class of T. Oganesov and N. Kuzybaev. He works more in genre of landscape, often addressing to the same subject interpreted each time newly.
Interesting are “Portrait of father”, “Self-portrait” and “Mahbuba”.
His pictures of “Street in Zarabag”, “Street” and “Gate” are thematically close but differ in solution of forms. They are kept in NBU Gallery of Arts. Soft light yellow and brown colors are pure. They calm the soul and lull like a moon song which brings back forgotten feelings.
While Nurulla compares Surkhandarya kishlak of Zarabag and Shahimardan in the Fergana valley, Narzulla compares Zarabag with Sukok in Tashkent region. Surely, such comparisons are very positive. Different places of our sunny land are picturesque and unique. Narzullah succeeded to embody magic tunes of warm colors and their play.
Narzullah rarely visits Zarabag, but often addresses there in mind. He has cottoned to city life, though the majority of his works are devoted to rural life and landscapes of his native kishlak. Nurullah often visits the brother, but soon returns back. “If I stay in the city longer, I begin to miss my mother, Zarabag and its people,” – he said.
Though the brothers are unlike, their devotion to art and love for the native land inspire respect. They often say: “We received these properties from Boboniyoz Kurbanov, our first teacher and countryman (now lives in Tashkent)”.