Azeri first lady attends exhibition of UK sculptor Tony Crag - PHOTO

Azerbaijan`s First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visits the exhibition

A solo exhibition of Tony Cragg, one of the most prominent figures of modern art, a renowned UK sculptor, has today opened at the Heydar Aliyev Center.Azerbaijan`s First Lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva and Vice-President of the Foundation Leyla Aliyeva viewed the exhibition.Addressing the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center Anar Alakbarov highlighted projects implemented by the Center.He noted the activity of Museum of Modern Art, “Fly to Baku” exhibition, and projects carried out by Yarat! Contemporary Art Space.Alakbarov thanked First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva for supporting the Heydar Aliyev Center`s projects.He also congratulated UK sculptor Tony Cragg on his 65th anniversary.Tony Cragg, in turn, thanked Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva for the organization of the exhibition.Rector of Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts, academician Omar Eldarov presented diploma of emeritus professor of the Academy to Tony Cragg.The exhibition that will run till August 31 presents 28 works of the artist.Born on April 9, 1949 in Liverpool, the UK, Tony Cragg started working at the National Rubber Producers Research Association in 1966-1968. The places of his further training include Glocestershire College of Art, Chetlenham (1969-1970), undergraduate sudies at Wimbledon School of Art (1970-1973) and graduate classes at the Royal College of Art (1973-1977). Upon completion of studies, Tony Cragg moved to Wuppertal, Germany, in 1977 where he launched a set of personal exhibitions. At the moment, Tony Gragg is the Principal of the Art Academy (Kunstakademie) in Dusseldorf.From the very outset, Tony Cragg was famous for the adaptive reuse of waste, used materials and scrap metal constructions. His works are nowadays found in a number of world’s leading museums. The statues and monuments crafted of bronze, marble, wood, oak-tree, plastic, ceramics, porcelain and glass are not only cherished in various museums but adorn streets, squares, public and corporate space in London, Liverpool, Basel, Vienna, Dusseldorf, Washington DC, Atlanta, Stockholm and other cities.With more than 350 shows world over, Tony Cragg received a prestigious Turner Award in 1988 and the Empire Award of Japan in 2007.(AzerTAc)ANN.Az