Naila Hazell
b. 1981, Baku, Azerbaijan
Contemporary British artist Naila Hazell was taught by the renowned Soviet social realism painter Boyukagha Mirzezade while studying fine arts and earning her MA at the Azerbaijani Fine Arts Academy. Hazell has had numerous solo and group shows in Baku and, now based in West London, she continues her work and exhibits in the UK. A figurative artist working primarily in oil, she is also expanding her practice with different media for some of her future conceptual art projects. Hazell is preparing work for a solo exhibition within the next year. The extraordinariness of her work lies in the fact that her themes contain many stories—her unassuming ‘moments’ are linked to ordinary human life experiences, yet they often convey deeper messages about the realities of life and offer an acceptance of who we are.
Artist Statement
Naila Hazell’s practice revolves around the representation of moments and feelings frozen in time by a sweeping brushstroke. Affected by a difficult history involving personal losses and abusive dynamics, Hazell began deconstructing the mechanisms involved in interpersonal relationships. It is here that the series Embracing and Repelling was born: different directions of the same journey, different sides of the same coin. Scrutinizing any close relationship, Hazell unveils a universal truth: with great love and affection often come significant frustration and tension. With a frequently dramatic exaggeration of facial expressions, Hazell displays with brilliant clarity the emotions shared by the sitters, whether joy, fear, passion, or rage. Hazell’s vision focuses on painting the psychological and emotional states of individuals, particularly examining the weight of suffering and the complexities of mental health. For Hazell, art has always been a powerful medium for communicating internal experiences that are difficult to express through words. By entwining these emotions in her paintings, she opens a space for dialogue between the viewer and the subject, allowing for a shared experience of suffering, healing, or introspection.