Artist
Aidan Salakhova
Painter, sculptor and photographer
Aidan Salakhova (b. 1964, Moscow, Russia) is a prominent Russian artist of Azerbaijani descent.
In 1987, he graduated from the Surikov Moscow State Institute of Fine Arts. In 1992, he founded the Aidan Gallery in Moscow, one of the most prestigious private galleries of modern and contemporary art in Russia.
Her artistic practice encompasses painting, sculpture, photography, and installation, with a focus on themes of gender, sexuality, and the intersection of Eastern and Western cultures. Her work explores the role of women in Islamic societies, addressing issues such as prohibition, esotericism, and beauty.
Throughout her career, Salakhova has participated in prestigious international biennials and fairs, such as the Venice Biennale in 1991 and 2011, as well as the Second Moscow Biennale of Contemporary Art in 2007. His works are part of important collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, and the François Pinault Foundation.
In 2011, at the 54th Venice Biennale, her work gained notoriety when two of her sculptures, including Black Stone , which depicted the Kaaba in a vagina-like frame, were covered up and removed from the Azerbaijan Pavilion by government order.
In addition to her artistic work, Salakhova has contributed to arts education as a professor at the Surikov State Institute in Moscow since 2000 and was elected to the Russian Academy of Fine Arts in 2007 after being awarded the institution’s silver medal.
