About

Aygün Akif

Art has been a part of my life since birth. I grew up in a family of art, as the daughter of the sculptor and People’s Artist of Azerbaijan Akif Askerov. From my earliest childhood I was surrounded by art, creativity and beauty. The artistic environment in which I grew up became a natural and inseparable part of my life, while painting gradually became my main way of feeling, experiencing and expressing the world around me. I started drawing at a very early age. At the age of five I painted my first work in oil. I was immediately drawn to the expressive quality of oil paint, the depth of colour and its ability to convey mood and emotion. Today this childhood work is kept at the Museum of Modern Art in Baku and remains a special memory of the beginning of my artistic journey. I have never considered painting simply a profession. It is a part of my life, my inner world and a way of expressing myself. Through my work I seek to convey not only what I see but also what I feel. Colour, light, mood and space become a language through which I can communicate with the viewer without words. I was born in Baku on 18 June 1975. In 1990 I entered the A Azimzade State Art School and graduated in 1994. In the same year I entered the Azerbaijan State Institute of Culture and Arts, Faculty of Painting, and graduated in 1998. In 2003 I entered the Master’s programme at the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts, specialising in History and Theory of Fine Arts, and completed my studies in 2006. My professional exhibition career began in the 1990s. My first solo exhibition was held at the Baku Arts Centre in 1999. My second solo exhibition took place in 2011. Since 2005 I have been a member of the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan. Throughout my artistic career I have participated in numerous national and international exhibitions and art projects in Azerbaijan and abroad. In 2000 I received a diploma at the exhibition of young artists organised by the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan. In the same year I participated in the symposium and exhibition of Turkic speaking peoples in Antalya and received a diploma. In 2001 I participated in an exhibition organised by TÜRKSOY. In 2002 I received the Youth Award in the nomination of Best Artist of the Year. Over the years my works have been presented at numerous exhibitions in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Russia and other countries. I have participated in international art projects as well as exhibitions organised by state institutions, the Union of Artists of Azerbaijan, museums and art galleries. In 2012, 2014 and 2015 I participated in various art competitions and international exhibitions and received diplomas. In 2020 and 2021 I took part in a number of online and offline exhibition projects organised by the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan State Art Gallery, artgrift and other cultural organisations. In 2023 I participated in an international exhibition in Çanakkale dedicated to the centenary of the Republic of Turkey. In the same year my works were presented in Istanbul at ART FACTORY gallery in an exhibition dedicated to the centenary of the Republic of Turkey and the centenary of the birth of Heydar Aliyev. In 2024 I participated in exhibition projects of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts dedicated to International Women’s Day, the legacy of Heydar Aliyev and environmental issues. In 2025 I participated in the exhibition Portrait in Fine Art and in the anniversary exhibition of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts titled 25 Years of Artistic Journey. In 2026 my works were presented at the international exhibition Colours of Tenderness in Istanbul. In the same year I was awarded a Diploma of the Third Degree in the Abstraction category at the international exhibition Painters View of the World organised by the Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design. Since 2018 I have been working as a lecturer at the Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts, combining my teaching career with my own artistic practice. My works are held in art galleries and private collections in Azerbaijan, Turkey, Iran, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway and other countries.