Tora Aghabayova was born in 1979 in Azerbaijan.

Educated in classical way in State Academy of Art, Tora is currently living and working in Berlin.

Tora was born in 1979, in Baku, Azerbaijan, when it was a part of the Soviet Union. She studied fine art since an early age and it was a great escape from the late-Soviet and post-Soviet realities.

Being a university art student in the 90s, Tora – together with her brother and her friend Ali Hasanov – were taking part in performances, that were considered too “wild” for the public, yet somehow she continued to get away with it. Then, in 2002 Tora graduated from art academy with a masters degree in Fine Art Painting. During this time, she continued to follow curiosity by also producing video art back.

In 2006, Tora went to live in Shanghai and all of her Soviet aesthetics and new world’s capitalist consumer culture  – along with a strong touch of Orient –  melted together and so her social realism painting began. Tora returned to Baku in 2009 and began painting. Tora’s works were exhibited internationally. On 2013 Tora moved to Berlin and working from her studio in Kunstquartier Bethanien.

Awards

Golden Orange in Antalya Film Festival for best production designer. 2012

Solo exhibitions
2011 ‘Double Meaning’, KicikQalart Gallery, Baku
2011 ‘Oil and Dreams’, Royal Opera House Arcade, London

Selected group exhibitions
2019 “Off The Velvet Chest” Extension project, Triumph Gallery. Moscow. Russia (curated by Asli Samadova)
2019 “CAFE AVARICE AND GENEROSITY” GalerieDix9 Helene Lacharmoise (curated by Azad Asifovich)
2019 ‘Kibris Modern”, Cyprus Museum of Modern Arts. Lefkosha. Cyprus.
2018 ‘Fo You’ Voluntary Art Liaison, Berlin, Germany
2015 ‘Candy Mountains, Oily Sores’ Museum of Contemporary Art, Perm, Russia
2012 “Fly to Baku. Contemporary art from Azerbaijan”, Hotel Salomon de Rothschild, Paris, France
‘Fly to Baku. Contemporary art from Azerbaijan’, Phillips de Pury & Company, London, UK
2011 ‘On Soz’, Alternative Art Space, Baku
“Big Caucasus” “White nights of Perm” Festival, Modern Art Museum, Perm, Russia
2010 ‘USSR Remix’, Tou Scene, Centre for Contemporary Art, Stavanger, Norway
2009 ‘BakUnlimited’, Cultural Days of Azerbaijan, Voltahalle, Basel, Switzerland
2007 ‘Omnia Mea’, Azerbaijan Pavilion, 52nd Venice Biennale, Venice
2003 ‘Caravan Sarai’, International Forum of Visual Art & Art Events, Tbilisi
2000 ‘Wings of Time’, Khagani Trading Centre, Baku
1999 ‘Sex 2000’, Art Manege, TheManege Central Exhibition Hall, Moscow
1998 ‘The Brain of Galapagos Tortoise’, performance, Benevolent Foundation for Aesthetic Development, Baku