Sultan Umarov

Born in 1923, Sultan Umarov is a member of the Union of Russian Painters and holds the title "Veteran Painter of the Republic of Adygea". He was born into a rich family of farmers. His father's property was confiscated by the Soviet government in the 1930s and he was imprisoned. The exiled father was followed by his family. When the father fell victim during the World War II, the mother turned back to her village with her five children. Umarovs had hard time in the village as their father was declared public enemy. Sultan, who had the spirit of an artist, was the one most affected by this and dedicated his life to painting.

Sultan left his village at the age of 16 and worked in Kabardey-Balkar, Astrahan and Daghistan. He was drafted in 1952 and sent to Germany. He was deeply impressed by European architecture. He settled in Nalchik in 1958 and has always earned his living through painting. He moved to Maykop in 1962 and started to work as painter-illustrator at the "Gigant" cinema. In the following years, he started working at the Painters Foundation and participated in all exhibitions held by the Adygea Society of Painters.

Sultan Umarov has come to love working in the silence of his rich inner world. He reflected his imagination on the canvas rather than depicting nature as is. The Adygea and Caucasus in his paintings is a world in which vice, envy or treason do not exist and is inhabited by proud and honorable people like his ancestors.