The main characters in Babadjanov’s works are monsters or mythological creatures similar to birds. Their surreal origins hint not so much at magical rituals as at the grotesque and horror inherent in modern films or the images we find in all popular culture today. These creatures emanate a fierce energy while some horned birds with a huge red tongue radiate a sense of menace. At the same time, these chimeras open up space for unexpected interpretations which can vary depending on the viewer’s Weltanschaung and taste; some see them as heroes of modern horror films, while others find themselves completely immersed in a world full of mysterious symbols, signs, otherworldly whispers, and restless dreams. Bab-adjanov’s creative process is so impulsive and intuitive that his paintings are difficult to understand within the framework of known discourses; they often lie beyond the bounds of explanation.

Like his young colleagues in this group, Salamat has not resigned himself to the fate of a passive aesthete of beauty or a bakhshi bard-cum-storyteller of the past.

No. Through their work, he and his co-creatives have become destroyers of peace.