Informed by his upbringing in the North Caucasus, Akhmat Biikanov creates portraits and tableaux that evoke notions of communion and estrangement. Through his dreamlike paintings and drawings, he carefully crafts a timeless, silent world, imbued with empathy and inhabited by kindred souls. The serendipitous nature of watercolour enables Biikanov to capture their elusive emotions. Also working with ceramics, his porcelain bas-reliefs are exhibited here for the first time. In Biikanov’s distinct style, one can discern discreet references to his Balkar heritage, as well as to Fayoum portraits, Persian miniatures, and Byzantine mosaics. Symbols of personal significance, such as figs, pomegranates, and cypress trees recur throughout the paintings, alongside the portraits that capture the essence of the people he loves. The silent characters daydream or exchange gazes full of empathy while secluded in a solitude that transcends words. —TZ

Works in the exhibition:
I go to sleep I (2023), watercolour on paper, 29.7 × 21 cm
Courtesy of the artist
I go to sleep II (2023), watercolour on paper, 17.5 × 25 cm
Courtesy of the artist and private collection
I go to sleep III (2023), watercolour on paper, 30 × 22.5 cm
Untitled (2023), watercolour on paper, 42 × 38 cm
By the river (2022), paper, pencil, 19 × 25 cm
Seraph (2022), watercolour on paper, 22 × 25 cm
Study I (2023), watercolour and pencil on paper, 24 × 17 cm
Study II (2023), watercolour and pencil on paper, 24 × 17 cm
Study II (2023), watercolour and pencil on paper, 24 × 17 cm
Study IV (2023), watercolour and pencil on paper, 17 × 24 cm
Study V (2023), watercolour and pencil on paper, 24 × 17 cm
Mask Study I (2023), porcelain, 16 × 21 cm
I Go To Sleep (2023), porcelain, 29 × 21 cm
All courtesy of Akhmat Biikanov unless otherwise noted