Nail Latfullin, a famous painter and graphic artist, initiator and first head of the creative association ‘Genghis Khan’ in Ufa, painted the portrait of Majit Gafuri. He is called the most oppositional artist of Bashkiria. He initiated unofficial exhibitions in the city, supported avant-garde art and became the first painter of the republic to be offered contracts by European gallery owners. The paintings ‘Poet’, ‘City’, ‘Garden of Diverging Paths’, ‘Revelation’ and other works by Latfullin are now kept in famous museums, in particular, the State Tretyakov Gallery, the M. V. Nesterov Bashkir Art Museum, the Museum of National Culture of the National Cultural Center ‘Kazan’ and other collections.
It was Latfullin who defined the concept of Tatar avant-garde painting, which formed the basis of creativity of the participants of ‘Genghis Khan.’ In 1990, the first exhibition of the ‘Genghis Khan’ artists took place in St. Petersburg, where the association for the first time declared itself as a bright cultural phenomenon. It was a time of intense creative search, which was reflected in the paintings of Latfullin and his associates. Creative work of ‘Genghis Khan’ artists is regarded by art historians as the forerunner of contemporary art of our days, in which western trends are combined with national character.
In painting, Latfullin drew on the legacy of the Russian avant-garde, in particular, the works of David Burlyuk. The artist often combined the traditions of Tatar folk art (characteristic motifs, color scheme, well-known types of characters) and Western European painting: he worked in many styles — from expressionism to neoprimitivism. Latifullin also turned to abstraction, although he was more drawn to figurative art when working on portraits.
The artist created a series of portraits of Tatar cultural figures, in particular, Majit Gafuri, Shaydulla Mannanov, Shamun Fidayi, Galimzhan Ibragimov, and others. As a whole, his graphic heritage makes up about 500 drawings in techniques of a pencil, ink and gouache. In 2002, the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Bashkortostan named after Nail Latfullin was established in Ufa, with a permanent exhibition of his works.
It was Latfullin who defined the concept of Tatar avant-garde painting, which formed the basis of creativity of the participants of ‘Genghis Khan.’ In 1990, the first exhibition of the ‘Genghis Khan’ artists took place in St. Petersburg, where the association for the first time declared itself as a bright cultural phenomenon. It was a time of intense creative search, which was reflected in the paintings of Latfullin and his associates. Creative work of ‘Genghis Khan’ artists is regarded by art historians as the forerunner of contemporary art of our days, in which western trends are combined with national character.
In painting, Latfullin drew on the legacy of the Russian avant-garde, in particular, the works of David Burlyuk. The artist often combined the traditions of Tatar folk art (characteristic motifs, color scheme, well-known types of characters) and Western European painting: he worked in many styles — from expressionism to neoprimitivism. Latifullin also turned to abstraction, although he was more drawn to figurative art when working on portraits.
The artist created a series of portraits of Tatar cultural figures, in particular, Majit Gafuri, Shaydulla Mannanov, Shamun Fidayi, Galimzhan Ibragimov, and others. As a whole, his graphic heritage makes up about 500 drawings in techniques of a pencil, ink and gouache. In 2002, the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Republic of Bashkortostan named after Nail Latfullin was established in Ufa, with a permanent exhibition of his works.
