Abdulmuhamed Deryaev, known in Turkmenistan as Azimus, has captivated millions of people with his pop art depictions of famous personalities. In an interview with Turkmenportal, the artist recalled the beginning of his career and spoke about his plans for the future.

– “After graduating from the State Academy of Arts of Turkmenistan, I joined the armed forces,” Azim begins the interview. The commander of my unit in Ahal velayat was a wonderful person - Colonel Ataev Tore Kakovovich, who, later, greatly influenced my work.

The colonel taught me discipline, endurance and hard work, and military service taught me the value of time. But the most important thing is, that I realized that I want to develop my talent and began to look for new solutions for this.

– You do not adhere strictly to one direction in painting, you try different styles and constantly delight us with something new. What kind of pictures do you like to paint the most?

- Portraits. I love drawing people. Especially talented and legendary ones. Those who died early, leaving a great legacy. Among such personalities are Chadwick, Tupac Shakur, Kobe Bryant, Xxxtentacion and others. I want the whole world to remember them and not forget how much they have invested in the development of modern music and culture.

I feel a special connection when I paint a portrait of one of my idols, it seems that we have been friends for many years.

- By the way, about portraits, tell us the story of the creation of the very work that has gained more than 13 million views?

– My friend videographer Arif Huseynov suggested that I paint a portrait of the American singer and Tiktoker Bella Porch. At the time, I didn't know anything about her. After studying her activities on social networks, I initially refused, because I did not see in her the talent that my previous characters had.

But Arif was very persistent, and eventually he was able to persuade me to take on the implementation of this project, every minute of which was captured on a video camera.

As a result, I painted 3 portraits of Bella Porch with different facial expressions. And to tell the truth, I was not enthusiastic about what was written, but connoisseurs of art around the world, on the contrary, really liked the work. In a short time, the video gained wide popularity and gained more than 13 million views.

- What are your goals for the coming years?

- I am planning to open my own art gallery. In the meantime, I work hard for this and spend a lot of time in my workshop.

- Continue the phrase: "I will never draw ..."

- I will never draw someone who says: “When will you draw me”?!

– What advice would you give to a beginner artist?

– To be unique, not to look for ideas, but to create them yourself. When a person imitates someone, he loses his handwriting, so in art it is important to be yourself.

Also read:

• Azimus Deryayev – variety of styles and genres