On June 5, the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum hosted the opening of Catharsis, a solo exhibition by artist and PhD in Art Studies Elchin Shamilli.
The exhibition was based on the artist’s distinctive artistic and philosophical concept, developed over many years, and represented an innovative approach to the presentation of textile art in a contemporary context.
The display featured more than 20 works exploring the concept of abstract textile, visual language, and the theory of cultural codes through the compositional structure of carpet design.
The exhibition centres on the exploration of inner experiences that exist not only within visible reality but also at subconscious and supraconscious levels. Here, abstraction is presented not merely as an aesthetic device but as a model of cognition. The artist interprets catharsis as a process of revealing distorted perceptions and false harmonies embedded within the individual. In this context, catharsis emerges as an act of transformation capable of reshaping the structure of memory and reconfiguring the individual’s relationship with the world.
Within the exhibition, the carpet functions as a visual model of enduring structures of thought set against the backdrop of constantly changing life experiences.
Catharsis demonstrates the philosophical and conceptual potential of textile art in contemporary Azerbaijani culture, inviting visitors to reflect on the deeper layers of human consciousness, memory, transformation and self-awareness.
The exhibition will run until 7 June.
