Two Chests, Two Lives, 2026
Oil on canvas
Each 100 × 130 cm
The chest in artist’s home is a mirror of our present day. It is a small world of Ayten’s life, her memories and dreams. Inside it, she keeps objects that are valuable to her small yet deeply meaningful moments, items that carry her childhood memories. This chest is a part of her identity and a symbol of my home. It is not merely an object; it is her “home”.
The chest Ayten Abdullayeva’s grandmother kept in Gazakh holds a deep memory of her era. Preserved for many years and given as part of her dowry, it contains family history, memories of the past, my grandmother’s youthful dreams, and objects that carry both the hardships and joys of life. Each item inside is a fragment of my grandmother’s “home”, a trace of a lived life, and a symbol of memory, family, and continuity. These two chests – the grandmother’s and the granddaughter’s – create a connection across time and space. They carry different eras and different lives, yet the same depth of feeling. Within both chests lies the concept of “home”: not only as a physical space, but as a place that is protected and lived in, connecting past and future – a space of personal memory and emotion.