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Aidyn Zeinalov
Aidyn Zeinalov
The Observer
In this series, Zeinalov explores the timeless nature of military conflicts as he sculpts old-time daggers and spears instead of present-day firearms. In his 2018 piece Torso, he used a stabbing weapon still widely spread across many Middle Eastern countries. Known as the “jambiya,” it is a dagger with a broad curved blade, stored in an upward curved sheath.
The Torso’s somewhat rough texture is reminiscent of sculptures by Auguste Rodin, the renowned French sculptor active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by surviving fragments of ancient statues, it was Rodin who introduced the concept of the torso as a standalone work of art in its own right. According to his philosophy, a sculptor does not need to depict the entire human body to convey an idea; a potent “expressive” fragment is enough. In this composition, the Eastern concept of masculinity is represented by daggers, while the Western idea is embodied in the torso, filled with inner energy; symbolizing the essence of masculinity, the daggers are hanging from what is left of the bronze belt.
The Warrior’s torso (2018) is also executed in a Rodin-like manner. However, brandishing a different weapon – a spear he is about to launch at an enemy – this sculpture is much more dynamic. His body is balanced on a point, supported by a round shield. The shield rests on the skull of a mountain ram, suggesting that death is inevitable in any war.
Aidyn Zeinalov has traveled extensively across Arab countries, where he was unfailingly struck by the abundance of weapons in cities, towns, and villages; weapons have become part of everyday life there. This shock manifested itself in his 2018 composition A Gun and a Bird (2018); lying in the yard next to somebody’s house, a weapon is seen by the birds as a part of the world as good as any – they know nothing about the perils it holds as they flock around or perch on the gun. A similar idea is found in Tray with Pomegrenades (2018); here, a hand grenade is placed among fruits, widely cultivated in the Middle East, on a richly decorated bronze table with ornate legs shaped like animal and bird claws. The pun is intended to highlight that similar things have the power to bring pleasure – or death.
The Torso’s somewhat rough texture is reminiscent of sculptures by Auguste Rodin, the renowned French sculptor active in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by surviving fragments of ancient statues, it was Rodin who introduced the concept of the torso as a standalone work of art in its own right. According to his philosophy, a sculptor does not need to depict the entire human body to convey an idea; a potent “expressive” fragment is enough. In this composition, the Eastern concept of masculinity is represented by daggers, while the Western idea is embodied in the torso, filled with inner energy; symbolizing the essence of masculinity, the daggers are hanging from what is left of the bronze belt.
The Warrior’s torso (2018) is also executed in a Rodin-like manner. However, brandishing a different weapon – a spear he is about to launch at an enemy – this sculpture is much more dynamic. His body is balanced on a point, supported by a round shield. The shield rests on the skull of a mountain ram, suggesting that death is inevitable in any war.
Aidyn Zeinalov has traveled extensively across Arab countries, where he was unfailingly struck by the abundance of weapons in cities, towns, and villages; weapons have become part of everyday life there. This shock manifested itself in his 2018 composition A Gun and a Bird (2018); lying in the yard next to somebody’s house, a weapon is seen by the birds as a part of the world as good as any – they know nothing about the perils it holds as they flock around or perch on the gun. A similar idea is found in Tray with Pomegrenades (2018); here, a hand grenade is placed among fruits, widely cultivated in the Middle East, on a richly decorated bronze table with ornate legs shaped like animal and bird claws. The pun is intended to highlight that similar things have the power to bring pleasure – or death.
