Born October 26, 1925 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

1946 – Graduated from A. Azimzade State Art College in Baku;

1954 – Graduated from I.E. Repin’s Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture with distinction Selected;

Ashraf Murad’s works are being kept at the Artists Union of Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan National Art Museum, The Museum of Modern Art, Baku and private collections;

Ashraf Murad passed away on March 11, 1979 in Baku.

Ashraf Murad’s works which mainly were kept in private collection after his death, now collected in “Nar” gallery. Unsuccessful life and tragic fate of artist left their imprint both on his creativity and his work’s fate. Azeri people are grateful to gallery owner for that he could gather these works and make them a nation heritage.

Ashraf Murad is one of those artists whose work becomes somehow a continuation of their sad destiny, and imagination is a product of confused and loaded consciousness. This consciousness drags us behind in the mirror, in syura world with its distorted objects and unusual color scale which rebels against the generally accepted color perception. In his works there is no a form-building, his works are – organic part of his world perception. That is why the simplest characters in his paintings, for example tennis players look so mysteriously and at the same time so attractive. Slender figures of sportswomen sunbathing at beach, immersed in dense haze, the beauty which mysteriously and incomprehensibly shows through. The artist departs from linear perspective and classical criterion of beauty and in many respects intuitively, creates his beautiful, full of harmony reality. His characters are asocial and concentrated in themselves, there is something metaphysical in their glances which artist managed to catch and capture in a flash. This feeling amplifying with his pictures’ plastic language, with precise compositional solutions, distorted figures of characters and dark palette. Might, strong personality and tyranny- here are the leitmotifs of character formation which Ashraf Murad depicts. Looking at his monumental canvases sometimes it seems that from abyss appears some self-sustained force and absorbs light of realistic images in the background, those are the pictures of “Tehran conference”, “Lenin in Smolnom”, “Portrait of Tereshkova”, “Portrait of Krupskaya”. Characters of his pictures remind wax figures, this is either idols or either half-pigeons, or half-demons! In his soul, as in his pictures an eternal struggle of light and darkness, good and evil is going on. At first sight it seems that dark forces of the abyss on his pictures of Ashraf celebrates the victory, however it is completely inexplicable, his canvases emit light which manages to break the forces of the black abyss. Considering these pictures the person gets an expression the tortured, emaciated consciousness of the artist still did not fade completely in the haze of insanity, and, contrary to expectations, preserved the purity of the perception of the world. It is paradoxical, but Ashraf’s still life differs with originality of use of paints, which does not fit with the gloomy inner world of the artist. Melons painted by him are permeated with light, but watermelons as if painted with flashes of sunset, just radiate heat! Paints with which these pictures were painted are dense and aromatic as juice emanating from mature fruit. Works of Ashraf Murad are kept in Union of Azerbaijan Artists, in Azerbaijan National Art Museum, in Museum of modern arts in Baku also in private collections. Togrul Narimanbekov’s phantasmagoric world on canvases was permeated with powerful soul of national folk and was filled with figurative-associative symbols intrinsic to traditions of Azerbaijan visual arts. His works are born from a synthesis of plastic language of eastern traditionalism and graphic systems intrinsic to western culture. Having bright and temperamental talent of colorist, artist was able to create his world where in difficult harmonious equilibrium neighboring different types of matters- earthly and cosmic, simple and fantastic, material and spiritual. World pictures on his canvases are filled with an abundance of forms of earthly life each of which has its own material embodiment. Expressionistic style of artist letter is expressed in the very manner building composition on plane, in the deformation of forms and objects, also in bright contrasting paints. This-passionate desire to paint not so much world features as much to paint deep sensory perception of reality.

LIFE EVENTS
1925
Born
1946
Graduated from A. Azimzade State Art College in Baku;
1954
Graduated from I.E. Repin’s Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture with distinction Selected;
1979
Passed away
EXHIBITIONS
2015
Beyond the Line, Azerbaijan Pavilion, 56th International Art Exhibition – la Biennale di Venezia,Venice, Italy
1984
First posthumous personal exhibition, V. Samedova’s art gallery of the Artists Union of Azerbaijan, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1976
Participated in the exhibition “Glory to labor”, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1975
Participated in the exhibition dedicated to 30th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1970
Participated in the exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of V.I. Lenin, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1966
Participated in “The Autumn exhibition”, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1965
Participated in “In Struggle for Peace” exhibition, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1963
Participated in “The Autumn exhibition”, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1961
Participated in the exhibition “Our Contemporaries”, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1960
Participated in Republican art exhibition, Baku, Azerbaijan;
1959
Participated in exhibition devoted to decade of Azerbaijan literature and art, Moscow, Russia;
1958
Participated in Republican art exhibition, Baku, Azerbaijan;
Horse
Horse
Oil on canvas, 80x100 cm
1970th
Devil
Devil
Oil on canvas, 108x70 cm
1978
Lenin at Smolni, 1971
Lenin at Smolni, 1971
Oil on canvas, 120x130 cm
1970th
Woman with bag
Woman with bag
Oil on canvas, 85x45 cm
1976
Tomatos time
Tomatos time
Oil on canvas, 40x60 cm
1976
Flowers
Flowers
Oil on canvas, 55x70 cm
1976
Flowers
Flowers
Oil on canvas, 70x90 cm
1975
Sportswoman
Sportswoman
Oil on canvas, 109x74 sm
1975-1976
Actress Linda Hamilton
Actress Linda Hamilton
Oil on canvas, 120x80 cm
Sportswoman
Sportswoman
Oil on canvas, 101х70 cm
1975-1976
Girl in sunglasses
Girl in sunglasses
Oil on canvas, 110x74 cm
1975
Derricks in the sea
Derricks in the sea
Oil on canvas, 66x98 cm
1967
No name
No name
Oil on canvas, 80x59 cm
Lenin in Smolni
Lenin in Smolni
Oil on canvas, 80x59 cm
On the seashore
On the seashore
Oil on canvas, 100x40 cm
1975
Watermelon
Watermelon
Oil on canvas, 49x69 cm
1976
The two
The two
Carton, mixed, 31,5x23,5 cm
Still life
Still life
Carton, mixed, 26x33 cm
Valentina Tereshkova
Valentina Tereshkova
Oil on canvas, 140x100 cm
1970
The two. Girl with bag. Sportswoman.
The two. Girl with bag. Sportswoman.
Oil on canvas, 145x100 cm
1976
Voting
Voting
Oil on canvas, 110,5x81 cm
Naked in the chair
Naked in the chair
Oil on canvas, 90x145 cm
1978
Landscape
Landscape
Oil on hardboard, 29x55 cm
1960
Woman and  the window
Woman and the window
Oil on canvas, 120x90 cm
Girls with motorcycle
Girls with motorcycle
Oil on canvas, 100x130 cm
1975
Still life
Still life
Oil on canvas, 100x80 cm
Model
Model
Oil on canvas, 50x80 cm
On the plant
On the plant
Oil on canvas, 32x50 sm
No name
No name
Oil on canvas, 40x50 cm
Still life
Still life
Oil on canvas, 48x37 cm
The talk
The talk
Oil on canvas, 130x130 cm
Portrait
Portrait
Oil on canvas, 120x90 cm
Model
Model
Oil on canvas, 120x70 cm
Women in the bath
Women in the bath
Oil on canvas, 78x60 cm
The sorrow
The sorrow
Oil on canvas, 179x82 cm
1978
Still life
Still life
Oil on canvas, 47x67 cm
1976
On the pasture
On the pasture
Oil on canvas, 9x21 cm
On the shote
On the shote
Oil on canvas, 8x21,5 cm
Etude
Etude
Oil on canvas, 34x24 cm
On the shore
On the shore
Oil on cardboard, 17x8,5 cm
In the forest
In the forest
Oil on cardboard, 13x17 cm
Still life wuitk teapot
Still life wuitk teapot
Oil on canvas, 32x23 cm
Model
Model
Oil on canvas, 37,5x19 cm
Landscape
Landscape
Oil on canvas, 15x25 cm
Village
Village
Oil on cardboard, 18x25,5 cm
Still life. Two melons and apples.
Still life. Two melons and apples.
Oil on canvas,
Woman
Woman
Graphic, 20x29 cm
Young man
Young man
Graphic, 28x20 cm
Old woman
Old woman
Graphic, 30x20 cm
Poet
Poet
Graphic, 28x19 cm
Young man with a book
Young man with a book
Graphic, 28x18 cm
Young woman
Young woman
Graphic, 21x19 cm
Mother and child
Mother and child
Graphic, 27x19 cm
Thoughtful
Thoughtful
Graphic, 23x14 cm
Boxer
Boxer
Graphic, 36x29 cm
Young creation
Young creation
Graphic, 25x35 cm
On a motorcycle
On a motorcycle
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Orchestra
Orchestra
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Two fugure
Two fugure
Graphic, 20x35 cm
Baku talk
Baku talk
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Thoughtful girl
Thoughtful girl
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Girl with bag
Girl with bag
Graphic, 25x35 cm
On a cart
On a cart
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Cook in the kitchen
Cook in the kitchen
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Girl in pink dress
Girl in pink dress
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Girl in black dress
Girl in black dress
Graphic, 25x35 cm
By the motorcycle
By the motorcycle
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Determinate looking man
Determinate looking man
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Woman at the table
Woman at the table
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Sportswoman
Sportswoman
Graphic, 25x35 cm
Baku talk
Baku talk
Graphic, 25x35 cm
  • Horse
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Horse
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    80x100 cm
    Year:
    1970th
  • Devil
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Devil
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    108x70 cm
    Year:
    1978
  • Lenin at Smolni, 1971
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Lenin at Smolni, 1971
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    120x130 cm
    Year:
    1970th
  • Woman with bag
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Woman with bag
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    85x45 cm
    Year:
    1976
  • Tomatos time
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Tomatos time
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    40x60 cm
    Year:
    1976
  • Flowers
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Flowers
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    55x70 cm
    Year:
    1976
  • Flowers
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Flowers
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    70x90 cm
    Year:
    1975
  • Sportswoman
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Sportswoman
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    109x74 sm
    Year:
    1975-1976
  • Actress Linda Hamilton
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Actress Linda Hamilton
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    120x80 cm
    Year:
  • Sportswoman
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Sportswoman
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    101х70 cm
    Year:
    1975-1976
  • Girl in sunglasses
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Girl in sunglasses
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    110x74 cm
    Year:
    1975
  • Derricks in the sea
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Derricks in the sea
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    66x98 cm
    Year:
    1967
  • No name
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    No name
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    80x59 cm
    Year:
  • Lenin in Smolni
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Lenin in Smolni
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    80x59 cm
    Year:
  • On the seashore
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    On the seashore
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    100x40 cm
    Year:
    1975
  • Watermelon
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Watermelon
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    49x69 cm
    Year:
    1976
  • The two
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    The two
    Description:
    Carton, mixed
    Size:
    31,5x23,5 cm
    Year:
  • Still life
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Still life
    Description:
    Carton, mixed
    Size:
    26x33 cm
    Year:
  • Valentina Tereshkova
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Valentina Tereshkova
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    140x100 cm
    Year:
    1970
  • The two. Girl with bag. Sportswoman.
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    The two. Girl with bag. Sportswoman.
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    145x100 cm
    Year:
    1976
  • Voting
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Voting
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    110,5x81 cm
    Year:
  • Naked in the chair
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    Name:
    Naked in the chair
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    90x145 cm
    Year:
    1978
  • Landscape
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Landscape
    Description:
    Oil on hardboard
    Size:
    29x55 cm
    Year:
    1960
  • Woman and  the window
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Woman and the window
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    120x90 cm
    Year:
  • Girls with motorcycle
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Girls with motorcycle
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    100x130 cm
    Year:
    1975
  • Still life
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    Name:
    Still life
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    100x80 cm
    Year:
  • Model
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    Name:
    Model
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    50x80 cm
    Year:
  • On the plant
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    Name:
    On the plant
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    32x50 sm
    Year:
  • No name
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    No name
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    40x50 cm
    Year:
  • Still life
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Still life
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    48x37 cm
    Year:
  • The talk
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    Name:
    The talk
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    130x130 cm
    Year:
  • Portrait
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Portrait
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    120x90 cm
    Year:
  • Model
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Model
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    120x70 cm
    Year:
  • Women in the bath
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    Name:
    Women in the bath
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    78x60 cm
    Year:
  • The sorrow
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    Name:
    The sorrow
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    179x82 cm
    Year:
    1978
  • Still life
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    Name:
    Still life
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    47x67 cm
    Year:
    1976
  • On the pasture
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    On the pasture
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    9x21 cm
    Year:
  • On the shote
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    On the shote
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    8x21,5 cm
    Year:
  • Etude
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    Etude
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    34x24 cm
    Year:
  • On the shore
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    On the shore
    Description:
    Oil on cardboard
    Size:
    17x8,5 cm
    Year:
  • In the forest
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    Name:
    In the forest
    Description:
    Oil on cardboard
    Size:
    13x17 cm
    Year:
  • Still life wuitk teapot
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    Name:
    Still life wuitk teapot
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    32x23 cm
    Year:
  • Model
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Model
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    37,5x19 cm
    Year:
  • Landscape
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    Name:
    Landscape
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    15x25 cm
    Year:
  • Village
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    Name:
    Village
    Description:
    Oil on cardboard
    Size:
    18x25,5 cm
    Year:
  • Still life. Two melons and apples.
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    Name:
    Still life. Two melons and apples.
    Description:
    Oil on canvas
    Size:
    Year:
  • Woman
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    Name:
    Woman
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    20x29 cm
    Year:
  • Young man
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    Name:
    Young man
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    28x20 cm
    Year:
  • Old woman
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    Name:
    Old woman
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    30x20 cm
    Year:
  • Poet
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    Name:
    Poet
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    28x19 cm
    Year:
  • Young man with a book
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    Name:
    Young man with a book
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    28x18 cm
    Year:
  • Young woman
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    Name:
    Young woman
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    21x19 cm
    Year:
  • Mother and child
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    Mother and child
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    27x19 cm
    Year:
  • Thoughtful
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    Name:
    Thoughtful
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    23x14 cm
    Year:
  • Boxer
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    Name:
    Boxer
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    36x29 cm
    Year:
  • Young creation
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    Name:
    Young creation
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • On a motorcycle
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    Name:
    On a motorcycle
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Orchestra
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    Name:
    Orchestra
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Two fugure
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    Name:
    Two fugure
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    20x35 cm
    Year:
  • Baku talk
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    Name:
    Baku talk
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Thoughtful girl
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    Name:
    Thoughtful girl
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Girl with bag
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    Name:
    Girl with bag
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • On a cart
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    Name:
    On a cart
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Cook in the kitchen
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    Name:
    Cook in the kitchen
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Girl in pink dress
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    Name:
    Girl in pink dress
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Girl in black dress
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    Name:
    Girl in black dress
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • By the motorcycle
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    Name:
    By the motorcycle
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Determinate looking man
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    Name:
    Determinate looking man
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Woman at the table
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    Name:
    Woman at the table
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Sportswoman
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    Name:
    Sportswoman
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • Baku talk
    ABOUT PAINTING
    Name:
    Baku talk
    Description:
    Graphic
    Size:
    25x35 cm
    Year:
  • ABOUT PAINTING
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    Description:
    Size:
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