The painting “Ablution” which is housed in the Memorial Complex of Glory was created by Chechen artist Aslan Bugaev in 2012. It is a genre painting in a realistic style.
Bugaev depicted a scene of bathing a toddler. The child stands in a massive wooden washtub with his back exposed to the viewer. In the middle, the artist depicted an elderly woman in a red robe and a white shawl tightly wrapped around her head. She sits on a wooden bench, carefully holding the baby and wrapping him in a snow-white cloth.
The child carefully holds in one hand a white dove — a symbol of peace and abundance — and an olive branch in the other, which symbolizes the Tree of Life. Jointly, these items allude to the biblical story of Noah’s Ark and speak to the fact that a new man will soon come ashore and step onto the pure land.
For Aslan Bugaev, the woman who washes the child is a generalized image of the Earth, a mythical genetrix — the goddess of the highlands, Mehka-Nana. Her image also echoes the image of the Matriarch — the first woman of humankind, a resolute symbol of sanctity.
Aslan Bugaev was born in the city of Grozny in 1987. In 2009, he graduated from Faculty of Arts and Graphics of the North Ossetian State University and from the Ilya Repin Saint Petersburg Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in 2017.
The artistic method of Aslan Bugaev is based on the Academic school which teaches how to construct a single point perspective, convey volume using light and shadow, and build correct proportions of the drawing. In his paintings, he creates sophisticated compositions filled with Chechen and world cultural images and symbols.
His native land’s history, traditions, and culture were the main subjects of Bugaev’s artworks. The artist is interested in both ancient historic events and more recent ones. In his work, he strives for accuracy in details, carefully paints portraits and costumes of his characters, and uses appropriate color palettes for the chosen time period.
Aslan Bugaev’s works are exhibited in all central museums of Grozny. He is constantly engaged in regional, national and international exhibitions and contests, including those held in Moscow, London, and Paris.
Bugaev depicted a scene of bathing a toddler. The child stands in a massive wooden washtub with his back exposed to the viewer. In the middle, the artist depicted an elderly woman in a red robe and a white shawl tightly wrapped around her head. She sits on a wooden bench, carefully holding the baby and wrapping him in a snow-white cloth.
The child carefully holds in one hand a white dove — a symbol of peace and abundance — and an olive branch in the other, which symbolizes the Tree of Life. Jointly, these items allude to the biblical story of Noah’s Ark and speak to the fact that a new man will soon come ashore and step onto the pure land.
For Aslan Bugaev, the woman who washes the child is a generalized image of the Earth, a mythical genetrix — the goddess of the highlands, Mehka-Nana. Her image also echoes the image of the Matriarch — the first woman of humankind, a resolute symbol of sanctity.
Aslan Bugaev was born in the city of Grozny in 1987. In 2009, he graduated from Faculty of Arts and Graphics of the North Ossetian State University and from the Ilya Repin Saint Petersburg Academic Institute of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture in 2017.
The artistic method of Aslan Bugaev is based on the Academic school which teaches how to construct a single point perspective, convey volume using light and shadow, and build correct proportions of the drawing. In his paintings, he creates sophisticated compositions filled with Chechen and world cultural images and symbols.
His native land’s history, traditions, and culture were the main subjects of Bugaev’s artworks. The artist is interested in both ancient historic events and more recent ones. In his work, he strives for accuracy in details, carefully paints portraits and costumes of his characters, and uses appropriate color palettes for the chosen time period.
Aslan Bugaev’s works are exhibited in all central museums of Grozny. He is constantly engaged in regional, national and international exhibitions and contests, including those held in Moscow, London, and Paris.
