Uznews.net
23.01.13 02:55
“Chronicler of Aral” Rafael Matevosyan dies in Tashkent
On 21 January, Karakalpakstan’s distinguished artist and WWII veteran Rafael
Matevosyan died aged 89 in Tashkent.
Matevosyan was well-known far beyond Uzbekistan’s borders – his works are
known in New York and Delhi, Berlin and London and many other places.
In Uzbekistan the artist, whose creations of the past 50 years were devoted
to the tragedy of the dead Aral Sea, was known as a “singer and chronicler
of the Aral Sea”. The artist also authored a book about the Aral Sea
tragedy.
The master created a unique series of paintings about the transformation of
the deep sea into a dead desert.
Muynak’s honorary citizen
Matevosyan was born in Samarkand on 31 January 1924 where his parents first
met by chance.
Six years later the family moved to Baku where the future artist graduated
from the Caspian Children’s Naval Flotilla’s school in 1938. Later he spent
his time in the war as a radio operator.
His attraction to painting had an impact on his career and he graduated the
Baku art college in 1957.
Matevosyan first came to the Aral Sea in 1962 during his working trip to
Karakalpakstan. In Muynak he familiarised himself with the lives of
fishermen who took him to the sea on boats.
The elements of the sea impressed the artist and his visits became regular,
enabling him to feel the power of the huge water body of the Aral Sea.
In the 1970s, he worked as an executive secretary of the Union of Artists of
Karakalpakstan and became Muynak’s honorary citizen, as well as the
autonomous republic’s distinguished artist.
In his painting the artist told about dangerous consequences of the
heartless treatment of nature. His paintings reflect the feelings and fears
of people who fought to save the sea.
“Boats in sands”
Aral became a test of endurance for Matevosyan. Despite discontent and
criticism of those who did not initially admit the Aral tragedy and tried to
oppose the publicising of it through arts, the artist remained loyal to the
truth of life.
In 2004, in an interview with the Narodnoye Slovo newspaper Matevosyan said
that he noticed the first signs of the disappearance of the sea back in 1964
during his scheduled trip to Muynak.
When his well-known “Boats in sands” painting was displayed in Nukus, a
scandal broke out.
Matevosyan was branded as an opponent of the development of deserted land.
The title of his painting was changed but the problem persisted. This work
heralded his series about the dying Aral Sea, the artist said at the time.
His works “A boat in reeds”, “Seagulls over the sea”, “Still”, “Storm
ripple”, “Foggy morning”, “Autumn in Aral”, “At fishing”, “Salting the fish”
speak for themselves. In them Matevosyan admired the beauty and grandeur of
the unique sea.
Years went by and the artist created other paintings: the abovementioned
“Boats in sands”, “At eternal mooring”, “Mooring in sands”, “In low water”,
“A thunder in a sand bay”, “Backwater”, “Solitude” and “Hope”. These titles
also speak for themselves.
Swan’s song
The main aide to the artist over 40 years was his spouse Ada Matevosyan.
Even when confined to bed he devoted himself to the Aral Sea and continued
to work.
Matevosyan intended to create a 360-degree panorama of Muynak – a painting 9
metres in length made up of nine components measuring 100×50 cm, each of
which is a complete painting.
Unfortunately, two fragments of the painting were left unfinished.
The artist’s funeral will be held at the Urta-Saray cemetery outside
Tashkent.
Uznews.net