One of the prominent representatives of Azerbaijani fine art — People’s Artist, Honored Art Worker, and USSR State Prize laureate Kazim Kazimzade is commemorated on the 112th anniversary of his birth.
Kazim Kazimzade was born on August 10, 1913, in Baku. After graduating from the Pedagogical Technical School, he worked for some time as a teacher and later as a school principal in the village of Shabran. However, his great passion for painting led him to pursue education in this field. He graduated from the Baku Art Technical School and later completed higher education. He studied under Azim Azimzade and maintained close connections with notable figures such as Uzeyir Hajibeyli and Samed Vurgun.
The artist participated in the Great Patriotic War and created valuable works on this theme. His artworks have been exhibited in the former USSR and abroad. Kazimzade also worked in theater and film art, and carpets were woven based on his sketches. For his achievements in art, he was awarded orders, medals, and honorary titles.
According to “Tehsil365”, Kazim Kazimzade is mainly known for his book illustrations and easel graphics. His illustrations for Nizami’s “Iskandarnamah,” “The Treasury of Secrets,” “Leyli and Majnun,” and “Khosrov and Shirin,” as well as for children’s books such as “Fitnah,” “The Magic Ring,” and “Iskander and the Shepherd,” are particularly famous.
The artist also worked in political poster and caricature genres. In his series “On the Front Lines,” he depicted the tragedies of World War II.
Kazim Kazimzade led the State Art Museum for half a century. During his tenure, the museum’s collections were enriched, and Azerbaijani fine art was successfully promoted at international exhibitions. In 1951, the museum was relocated to a two-story building in the center of Baku, and since 1991, new exhibitions have been established in the building of the Baku City Party Committee.
Since 1954, Kazimzade was a member of the Soviet Committee of the International Council of Museums and, from 1992, a member of the Azerbaijan National Committee. He made significant contributions to the development of the museum network. Under his artistic direction, the house museums of Samed Vurgun and Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the Poetry House in Gazakh, and the Lankaran History and Ethnography Museum were established.
People’s Artist Kazim Kazimzade passed away on October 4, 1992.