Mehriban Aliyeva congratulates Tahir Salakhov on his 90th birthday

Azerbaijan’s First Vice-President, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, UNESCO and ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Mehriban Aliyeva, congratulated national artist Tahir Salahov on his 90th birthday.

"Today Azerbaijan celebrates a significant date - birthday of great artist, remarkable teacher and public figure Tahir Salakhov," AzerTac quoted Mehriban Aliyeva as saying.

"Dear Tahir Teymurovich, you're rightfully called living classic and one of the pioneers of an entire art style. Your works are part of the world culture's treasury. They mark an entire era in development of Azerbaijan and the world's art... A true art, which lives for centuries," she stressed.

"Perhaps those who claim that true artist should love the world in which he lives are right. The world of your art is bright and diverse. Its distinguishing feature is true patriotism, deep and sincere love for your native country - Azerbaijan," Mehriban Aliyeva noted.

First Vice-President of Azerbaijan wished Tahir Salakhov good health and well-being, peace and new achievements that will make admirers of his great talent happy.

Tahir Salahov is a Soviet, Azerbaijani and Russian painter and draughtsman. He studied at the Azimzade Art College in Baku in 1945–1950 and the Surikov Moscow Art Institute in 1951–1957.

Salahov won an early recognition: his diploma work, The Shift is Over, was exhibited in 1957 at the Moscow All-Union Art Exhibition and received public and critical acclaim. He became one of the leading representatives of the so-called "severe style", a trend in Soviet art of the 1960s that aimed to set off a hard, publicist, realist view.