Rising Stars: Meet Leyla Ahmadov

Today we’d like to introduce you to Leyla Ahmadov.

Hi Leyla, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I don’t have a big story, but I know that I’ve always loved anything art-related, namely artworks that are tangible (such as textile). I grew up in Azerbaijan, and this country has a rich history of carpet-making. I remember I was mesmerized by my aunts’ weaving carpets with their hands. This is tedious work, and it takes a long time and high focus to deliver quality results. This, eventually, inspired me to apply to Azerbaijan State Art Institute (now Art Academy). I have a master’s degree in Fine Arts. My major was Gobelin (this is a type of tapestry-weaving originated in France in XV century).

Unfortunately, I had to pause my art journey as life happened.

I moved to the US in 2011. This move inspired me to start “getting my hands dirty” again. It was progressing slowly, but I was satisfied with my results as this was a food for my soul. I had kept my artworks to myself as I didn’t know how I can share them with the “outside” world.

After seeing some of my works, my friends gave me some tips on how I can take them out to the local art fairs and share them on social media. So, I did. I have since been receiving a lot of positive feedback. People even started buying them. It was incredible. This, definitely, fueled my inspiration, and I began expanding the spectrum of my works to smaller arts, such as coasters, toys, ornaments, pins, etc. I built my own looms, bought a large number of yarns, and was ready to take on the world. It’s a work-in-progress.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been challenging to find a time as I have a family with two children. They take most of my time and energy, because of my endless love to them. Even when I’m deeply inspired and ready to jump in front of the loom and weave, I can only pass by my art station and dream about it. In many cases, I postpone it for an extended period of time or simply forget about it. My art station is where I “get lost” and become secluded from the outside world. But I’m not hopeless. Recently, I started managing my time where I can spare a few hours a week for myself to dive into the world of fibers and colors.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a textile artist. I work with yarns/fibers and make art pieces to hang on the walls mainly. Sometimes, I make smaller pieces, such as coasters.

This branch of art is called Gobelin. This is a textile art created on a specialized loom that has a different technique from a traditional carpet-weaving or other tapestries. In Gobelin, the possibilities for ideas are endless as it can be from a simple colored art piece through a complicated portrait.

I use various types of topics, yarns (material, thickness, etc.), and colors. One of my largest pieces (my master’s diploma work) is hung in the gallery of Art Academy in Azerbaijan. It reflects the historical petroglyphs of the local ancient people of Qobustan. It’s approximately 2.5m x 1.5m.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/craftsbyleyla?r=nametag
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraftsbyLeyla/