Sigmund Freud’s granddaughter presents art exhibition in Baku
By Arslan Abbasov
Gazelli Art House gallery presented another surprise to residents of the Azerbaijani capital Baku on January 11 - opening of an exhibition titled "Family Matters" by Sigmund Freud's granddaughter Jane McAdam Freud, a painter known worldwide for her versatile creative work.
Earlier, in October 2012, Gazelli Art House hosted an exhibition of works by widely recognized American artists Aziz and Cucher.
Prior to familiarization with this exhibition I was one of the many spectators whose attention was drawn by her prominent name. This is because over the past decades many people in Europe have been chasing wealth and living a self-centered life, which has overshadowed the values that have been shaped by mankind for centuries as well as family values.
Jane McAdam Freud, who has been involved in creative work for over 20 years, paid her first visit to Azerbaijan, which was fascinating both for herself and the locals. Following a banquette in the morning held for media representatives, Jane Freud and Gazelli Art House founder Mila Askerova conducted a press conference. Jane Freud answered questions spanning the time that has passed since her grandfather's epoch. As Freud said, she was impressed that in the late 15th and early 16th century, during the Renaissance epoch, Azerbaijani artists were courageous enough to paint a human body, creating a school of miniature art, though depicting a human body or making such sculptures was banned under Islam during the period of struggle with paganism.
Though the exhibits put on display and presented to media representatives were not numerous, they reflected Jane Freud's creative imagination and range of creative thought. The main theme in her creative work is a human being, God's most valuable creation. She skillfully portrayed both the impressive and thrilling image of a young muscular man and that of an elderly person who has passed away. With such dramatic paintings the artist seemingly tells those who rely extremely on their own strength: "at the time of your strength don't forget that there will be a time of your weakness and death in the end."
The exhibition runs until March 6.
Jane McAdam Freud, who has already occupied her place in the world of art, is the daughter of Lucian Freud and the granddaughter of famous founder of psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud. She is an internationally acclaimed sculptor and multi-disciplinary artist with a career extending over twenty years. Graduating from her Bachelor's degree from Central St. Martins College London in 1981, she went on to be awarded the British Art Medal Award Scholarship in Rome, an accolade she held for three years, and completed her Master's degree from the Royal College of Art in 1995. Most often recognized for her sculpture, her work features in the permanent collections of museums and galleries around the world including the Victoria & Albert Museum in London and The Brooklyn Museum, New York. Jane is currently an associate lecturer at Central St. Martins and regularly teaches at a number of other institutions in London. Her study of Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis has resulted in a number of colorations with psychoanalytic societies and centers in New York and Beverly Hills.
A selection of her retrospective exhibition Family Matters held at Gazelli Art House, London in 2012 is on display for the first time in Baku.
Mila Askerova, who has provided an opportunity to familiarize Baku residents with well-known men of art and contributes to Azerbaijan's integration into the rest of the world, is the Founder and Director of Gazelli Art House, London and Gazelli Art House Baku. Mila Askerova was born and raised in Azerbaijan before moving to Istanbul and later settling in London. Upon successful completion of her International Relations BSc degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Mila worked at Sotheby's in the Client Development department while curating a number of exhibitions in Baku and Istanbul. She then managed the PR and Communication of a commercial art gallery in London, before focusing on curating and private art dealing. She was one of the coordinators at the Azerbaijani pavilion at the Venice Biennale. During her active years on the art market, Mila studied at Central Saint Martins and Christie's Education, gaining a theoretical insight into Collecting Contemporary Art, Independent Curating and Art Business.
In 2010 she founded a commercial contemporary art gallery Gazelli Art House London where on the regular basis through installations, sculptures, performance, and world art she holds the world's contemporary art exhibitions, including the ones from Azerbaijan.
Gazelli Art House sees its major goal in setting up dialogue between artists, writers, experts, students and art lovers through exhibitions, meetings, workshops, and tours.