bp today publicly presented a book and opened an exhibition dedicated to one of the amazing national art trends of Azerbaijan - the art of patchwork. The event was held in the Complex of Shirvanshahs’ Palace at Icherisheher (Old City) as part of the National Gurama (patchwork) Festival.
The book is the publication of research material about the beautiful art of patchwork, translated from various languages into Azerbaijani and English. The material was developed based on previously existing photos and information about the patchwork compositions of the 18th–19th centuries stored in Baku and regional museums, as well as in private collections.
The exhibition features the works of well-known national patchwork artists and is open to public, with a month-long free access as a courtesy of bp.
bp sponsored the book and the exhibition to help provide wider access to information about the national patchwork art and further promote Azerbaijan’s rich cultural legacy.
Addressing the event, Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, bp's vice president for the Caspian region, communications and external affairs, said: “We are pleased to contribute to the promotion of this fascinating national art trend, which has a special place in the culture of craftsmanship in Azerbaijan. The patchwork art exists in all the regions of the country and its history goes back centuries. We hope this book and the exhibition will help the wider audience learn more about this ancient art pattern of Azerbaijan.”
The total cost of the project is around 72,000 AZN. This includes the editorial review and translation of the research material, publication of the book and sponsorship of the exhibition.
The project was implemented by the Icherisheher Museum Center.