New york: A solo exhibition by Azerbaijani artist Aida Mahmudova, titled “Under the Same Sky,” was unveiled at the Sapar Contemporary Art Gallery. The exhibition explores the relationship between earth and sky, where materials reveal the language of the landscape and serve as a medium for artistic inquiry.
According to Azerbaijan State News Agency, Aida Mahmudova’s work focuses on the interplay between earth, body, time, memory, and place. Her sculptural pieces from the Stone Travellers series, created in 2025, are the result of a research-based practice that investigates the intersection of ceramics and natural stone. Initiated as a material laboratory in 2024, the project reflects on urban transformation and cultural heritage through a forward-looking lens. By revitalizing traditional ceramic techniques, Mahmudova employs alchemical and biochemical experimentation to explore how materials record time and change.
The ceramics in the exhibition feature handmade glazes made from locally sourced materials in Azerbaijan, such as oil, ash, seashells, sand, clay, and stone. This process is deeply rooted in the landscape, creating unique forms that speak to the natural environment.
Inspired by cairns, which are stone markers historically used for commemorative purposes, Mahmudova reimagines these forms as repositories of personal memory. These structures resonate with the mythic stones of Azerbaijan, like Pirv?nz?r?, a sacred rock believed to grant fertility and renewal, thereby connecting personal memory to ancestral rituals.
In addition to her sculptural work, Mahmudova introduces the Floating Grounds series, a collection of fiber works also created in 2025. These pieces incorporate hand-edited photo prints of natural and industrial sites, captured during artistic explorations. Transferred onto textiles through printing and stitching, the works maintain a tactile quality that absorbs traces of time and place. By juxtaposing scenes of rocks, quarries, power lines, forests, and riverbeds, Mahmudova invites viewers to reflect on the landscape as a continuously evolving archive.
The “Under the Same Sky” exhibition is set to run until January 16, 2026.