The contemporary artist Leyla Izabakarova comes from an ancient Dagestani family of jewelers. Georgia has become a second homeland for Leyla, and its coloring, history, happy and tragic events are reflected in the artist’s works. On April 9, 1989 in Tbilisi there was an opposition rally for the independence of Georgia from the Soviet Union. 10,000 people gathered on the square in front of the Government House and people erected barricades of trucks and trolleybuses in the streets.
The forces of the Soviet Army and Interior Ministry drove people out with chemical gas. Routes were blocked, and within 15 minutes there was a stampede in which 4,000 people were injured, about 50 children and adults were killed. The episode went down in history as the “April 9 tragedy”. Later the official commission of the USSR admitted the excessive use of military force against civilians.
Leyla Izabakarova expressed her feelings after the Tbilisi events in the plaquette entitled “Sorrow”. A plaquette is a decorative commemorative medal used as a souvenir or award. Plaquettes are known to have been made since the Renaissance, and their name is translated from French as “a small plaque”. Leyla Izabakarova’s plaquette depicts a silhouette covered with a dark shawl, which symbolizes mourning for loved ones and relatives. Hands reach out to the grief-filled eyes, and the entire figure conveys lingering sadness with color and relief. The foreground features a burning candle, a symbol of life and the light of hope. In many religious traditions, a candle is lit during a prayer for the health of the living or for the repose of the souls of the dead.
The “Sorrow” plaquette is framed in silver edging with four fasteners at the corners. Originally it was connected to the base and frame to hang the plaque on the wall as an artistic miniature. The piece is made in the technique of painted enamel, the image is applied with a fine brush. Enameling is the artist’s favorite technique because of its wide range of color and technical possibilities. “Sorrow” by Leyla Izabakarova depicts the despair of a lonely person and a whole nation, which is affected by the tragedy, but cannot change the circumstances. In this case, believers can only pray.
The forces of the Soviet Army and Interior Ministry drove people out with chemical gas. Routes were blocked, and within 15 minutes there was a stampede in which 4,000 people were injured, about 50 children and adults were killed. The episode went down in history as the “April 9 tragedy”. Later the official commission of the USSR admitted the excessive use of military force against civilians.
Leyla Izabakarova expressed her feelings after the Tbilisi events in the plaquette entitled “Sorrow”. A plaquette is a decorative commemorative medal used as a souvenir or award. Plaquettes are known to have been made since the Renaissance, and their name is translated from French as “a small plaque”. Leyla Izabakarova’s plaquette depicts a silhouette covered with a dark shawl, which symbolizes mourning for loved ones and relatives. Hands reach out to the grief-filled eyes, and the entire figure conveys lingering sadness with color and relief. The foreground features a burning candle, a symbol of life and the light of hope. In many religious traditions, a candle is lit during a prayer for the health of the living or for the repose of the souls of the dead.
The “Sorrow” plaquette is framed in silver edging with four fasteners at the corners. Originally it was connected to the base and frame to hang the plaque on the wall as an artistic miniature. The piece is made in the technique of painted enamel, the image is applied with a fine brush. Enameling is the artist’s favorite technique because of its wide range of color and technical possibilities. “Sorrow” by Leyla Izabakarova depicts the despair of a lonely person and a whole nation, which is affected by the tragedy, but cannot change the circumstances. In this case, believers can only pray.
