338 - Faig Ahmed, Azerbaijani (B. 1982- )

Faig Ahmed, Azerbaijani (B. 1982- ) Turquoise Goychali, 2026; Wool and silk 120 x 181 cm Density: 43 x 43 cm Faig Ahmed (b. 1982, Sumqayit, Azerbaijan) is an internationally acclaimed Azerbaijani conceptual artist renowned for redefining the language of traditional carpet weaving through contemporary art. He graduated from the Sculpture Department of the Azerbaijan State Academy of Arts in 2004 and represented Azerbaijan at its inaugural national pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2007. Working across sculpture, installation, textiles, and digital media, Ahmed transforms one of Azerbaijan's oldest artistic traditions into innovative conceptual works that challenge conventional perceptions of craft, culture, and visual reality. Ahmed has exhibited extensively at museums and institutions worldwide, including exhibitions in New York, Paris, London, Berlin, Rome, Venice, Dubai, Hong Kong, Sydney, Istanbul, and Moscow. His works have been presented at leading museums such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, Istanbul Modern, The Aga Khan Museum, MACRO Rome, and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences in Sydney. His works are held in major public collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, de Young Museum, and numerous international institutional and private collections. Among his many international achievements, Ahmed was nominated for the Jameel Prize 3 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London in 2013. In 2026, he participated in the 63rd Venice Biennale and collaborated with Azerkhalcha OJSC on the limited-edition "From Sketch to Carpet" collection, reinterpreting classical Azerbaijani carpet traditions through his distinctive contemporary visual language. Faig Ahmed's artistic practice reimagines traditional craftsmanship through the lens of contemporary conceptual art. Best known for transforming the visual language of Azerbaijani carpets, he combines centuries-old weaving techniques with digital aesthetics, optical illusion, and sculptural intervention to challenge conventional perceptions of cultural heritage. Drawing inspiration from sacred geometry, calligraphy, science, technology, and mystical traditions, Ahmed deconstructs familiar ornamental systems to create unexpected visual experiences that question the boundaries between tradition and innovation. His works blur the distinction between craft, sculpture, and conceptual art, revealing how historical forms can evolve within a global contemporary context. Through this dialogue between the handmade and the digital, the local and the universal, Ahmed invites viewers to reconsider the relationship between cultural memory, perception, and the constantly changing nature of visual reality. Import Duty Charged on the Hammer Price