In 2002 in one of the private residential houses located in the old city quarter called Kukcha, an art gallery was opened to display the works of the master of the house Anvar Mirsoatov, the People’s Artist of Uzbekistan, who is also known under his literary alias Anvar Mirso.
Mirsoatov made an early arrival to the world of art and identified the primary object of his artistic interest right from the start. When student of the Republican Art Vocational School named after P. Ben’kov (presently the Republican Art College) and subsequently of the graphic arts department of the Tashkent Pedagogical Institute named after Nizami, he tirelessly worked in the landscape genre, giving preference to picturing different corners of Tashkent and mountain panoramas. A particularly remarkable manifestation of the artist’s talent occurred in 1970s when the interest towards this genre in Uzbekistan was particularly keen. Everyone knew the names of the recognized coryphaei of landscape, such as Ural Tansykbaev, N. Karakhan, R. Temurov, and A. Razikov, whose works were successfully demonstrated not only in the country, but also far outside its boundaries. During those years the ranks of landscape painters were joined by a galaxy of young artists – Ruzi Chariev, F. Takhirov, G. Abdurahmanov, P. Gan, P. Martakov… Their works, lusciously colourful and gravitating towards decorativeness, came to define new trends in the landscape genre.
The art of the elder generation of artists and teachers was a worthy example for young Mirsoatov to follow. In his canvases “The Oak Tree Grove” (1959), “Burchmulla at Twilight” (1959), etc. he communicated the atmosphere of Uzbek homes with little courtyards and houses under flat earthen roofs, groomed little gardens, and showed people preoccupied with their daily routine. His every piece expressed his overwhelming feeling of love for his native land. Mirsoatov dedicated a series of works to historical and architectural monuments of Samarqand, which stand out with their particularly expressive colour and rich array of shades. Although many of them were created only in one or two sessions, they still show a clearly defined artist’s concept. Canvases painted in 1967 – “Siab Market Melons”, “Bibi Khanum”, “Samarqand, Khazrati Zir”, “By the Water Pool” – were displayed at many prestigious exhibitions and highly appreciated by viewers.
In 1970s-1980s the artist remained true to his chosen subject and created a number of canvases representing the country’s beautiful landscapes. With the help of rich colour range and his own signature compositional devices he conveys the nature’s emotional state surprisingly accurately. Such are his paintings “Autumn in Zaamin” (1972), “Nazarbek” (1973), “Bakhmal” (1973), and “Chirchik River” (1980). His piece titled “Dawn. Morning of My Motherland” (1974) was created as panoramic composition, which is an evidence of his creative approach towards mastering style and traditions once developed by elder generation artists.
Mirsoatov’s art was substantially influenced by the works of French impressionists and post-impressionists, namely C. Monet, C. Pissarro, P. C?zanne and others. Bold and masterful brush strokes in his “View on Khankiz” give the composition volume, tension and thrust, communicating the rush of streaming water that hurries to overcome the obstacles and make a new way for itself.
Well-known works by Mirsoatov created in recent years – “Yakkaterak. Twilihgt” (1966), “Bakhmal” (1972), “Gazalkent” (1990), “Pistachio Tree in Blossom” (1998), “Khojikent” (1998), “Road to the Mountains” (2004), “Apricot in Bloom” (2004), “Spring-time Mood” (2005), and “Scarlet Sails” (2007) – can be rightfully rated as finest specimens of Uzbek landscape painting. These canvasses stand out for the author’s specific signature that makes them recognizable in the wide range of paintings wrought by other artists. Landscapes created by Anvar Mirsoatov always show an unrepeated style, mastery and unique vision of the world around.
Nehmat Abdullaev