Khari Bulbul

"Khari Bulbul on Jidir duzu"
Shusha, 2018-2023
Composition of decorative and applied art
Artist: Sugra Baghirzade

My dear readers, I, like the rest of the Azerbaijani people, lived with longing for Karabakh for 30 years. Every day, I prayed to God to live to see the day of Shusha's liberation, to witness Jidir duzu and Khari Bulbul with my own eyes. And thank God, that day came.

As a citizen of Azerbaijan and an artist who deeply loves her homeland, I considered it my duty to give Khari Bulbul a second eternal life. However, to realize my idea, I needed a large quantity of flowers, which, as we know, only grow in the vicinity of Shusha. Through television, I turned to the entire nation of Azerbaijan for help.

One day in May, I received the news that the military had collected Khari Bulbul flowers for me. I can never forget the excitement I felt at that moment. When I saw the flowers, tears filled my eyes involuntarily, and I wasn’t paying attention to anyone or anything else. I wasn’t even able to appropriately thank the soldiers who had given me this priceless gift. I kept the flowers at home until the buds bloomed, and then I began the main part of the work, "Khari Bulbul on Jidir duzu." I sincerely thank those soldiers who brought me these flowers for their respect, attention, and appreciation of my art. May Allah protect you!

I dedicate my work "Khari Bulbul on Jidir duzu" to our Liberated Karabakh, Liberated Shusha, and all the heroes who gave their lives for the freedom of our homeland!

Creation technique:

Like all my works, this painting required engineering thought, artistic skills, patience, and a love for my craft. "Khari Bulbul on Jidir duzu" would be accurately described as an over scrupulous work. Knowing how precious the materials used were, I approached the work with exceptional meticulousness. Every detail had to be considered, because otherwise, the flowers used to create the painting could simply become spoiled. After completing the main work, the flowers were left to dry as a finished composition. During the creation of the artwork, all elements of the painting were repeatedly processed over several years. These live elements could change during the process, and as an artist, I had to take these changes into account to bring the painting to its intended form. The preliminary work on the meadow, which served as the background for the painting, lasted two and a half years. I started it even before the liberation of our lands, as if foreseeing the course of events. The main work with Khari Bulbul flowers lasted another two years. After that, I had to work on the colors of the composition, and upon completion, I was finally able to return the beauty given by nature to the world.

The live working material was treated with a solution made from polyvinyl acetate glue, silicone, and glycerin. Depending on the thickness of the live elements, the consistency of the solution changed.

It took me five years to present this composition to an audience.

Flowers are Allah's free gift to the people.