Chingiz Ahmarov

Chingiz Ahmarov's works often depict the beautiful and endearing nature of our contemporaries living with a creative spirit in complex and refined images. People's Artist of Uzbekistan Chingiz Ahmarov was born in 1912 in the city of Troitsk, Chelyabinsk region.

He studied at the Perm Fine Arts College from 1927 to 1931, at the V. Surikov Moscow State Art Institute in 1942, and completed his postgraduate studies at the same institute in 1948. He holds the academic degree of Candidate of Art History.

He began his professional work as a researcher at the Hamza Scientific-Research Institute of Art History in Tashkent, then became a teacher at the Benkov Art College. He served as the deputy chairman of the Artists' Union of Uzbekistan, head of the department at the Tashkent Polytechnic Institute, and professor at the Tashkent Institute of Art History.

He began his creative career in 1931 in the city of Samarkand, initially focusing his main attention on portraiture and book illustration. Paintings on diverse themes such as «Alpomish and Oybarchin» (1944), «Shirin» (1949), «Girls» (1949), «Portrait of Mukarrama Turgunbaeva» (1951), «Ghanaian Girl» (1958), «African» (1958), «Portrait of Painter Rashid Temirov» (1960), «Portrait of Honor Student Zotova» (1960), «Light in the Darkness» (1964), «Portrait of Poetess Zulfiya» (1964), «Dancer» (1964), a series of paintings dedicated to the lyrics of Alisher Navoi (1966–1967), «Mushkaire», and «In the Presence of Behzod» (1966) belong to the artist's brush.

Ch. Ahmarov's works often depict the beautiful and endearing nature of our contemporaries living with a creative spirit in complex and refined images. Among his works of illustration, «Students» and «Portrait of a Woman» (1944), drawings made during his trip to Indonesia (1964), drawings made during his trip to East Africa (1965), and «Surmahon» (1966) were particularly successful.

In the field of book illustration, the artist's drawings for «My Youth», Sh. Sulaymanov's «Li Chu» (1934), Oybek's novel «Navoi» (1951), the epic «Ravshan» (1958), and M. Shayxzoda's tragedy «Mirzo Ulugbek» (1964) are noteworthy.

In 1968, the 525th anniversary of Alisher Navoi was celebrated. Preparatory work for the anniversary had begun in 1966. As a member of the government commission for the Alisher Navoi anniversary and the artistic council organizing the Alisher Navoi Museum of Literature, Chingiz Ahmarov worked actively and created several new rare works about the classic poet.

He painted monumental murals based on the epics «Farhad and Shirin», «Layli and Majnun», and «Sab’ai Sayyor» from the poet's «Khamsa».

In general, painting monumental murals holds a special place in the artist's work. It is certainly difficult to find an artist who equals him in this field. Ch. Ahmarov is one of the great artists who made a major contribution to the development of Oriental national painting art in Uzbekistan.

Continuing the traditions of ancient miniature painting while enriching them with modern styles, he created a unique new art school. He decorated dozens of luxurious buildings in our republic with monumental murals. In particular, the Alisher Navoi State Academic Grand Theater, the Museum of Literature, the Abu Rayhan Beruni Institute of Oriental Studies, the Hamza Institute of Art History, the Alisher Navoi metro station in Tashkent, and other structures were graced by his unique art.

The artist also worked in the field of cinema, creating costume sketches for films such as «Ulugbek's Star», «The Legend of Two Hearts», and others shot at the «Uzbekfilm» studio, and served as a mentor to many young talented artists. His prolific and multi-faceted creative career was awarded the honorary title of «People's Artist of Uzbekistan», State Prizes, and orders and medals.

He was also awarded the honorary title of «People's Artist of Tatarstan».

The master artist and professor, Chingiz Ahmarov, passed away in Tashkent on March 13, 1995.