Azerbaijani painter, architect, art scholar, and professor Ilham Anvaroglu has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Fine Arts at Selçuk University in Konya.
Ilham Anvaroglu was born on May 27, 1970, in Agjabadi, into the family of prominent philologist, scholar, professor, and poet Anvar Ahmad. After completing his secondary education in Agjabadi, he graduated from the Azim Azimzade Azerbaijan State Art School and later from the Faculty of Architecture of the Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction.
In the late 1990s, he moved to Türkiye and began working at Selçuk University in Konya, where he completed his master’s and doctoral studies. Over many years of academic and pedagogical activity, the artist has participated in more than 50 national and international exhibitions. His works have been successfully displayed not only in Azerbaijan but also in dozens of cities across Türkiye through numerous solo exhibitions.
In 2006, he received first prize at the 67th State Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, and in 2008 he won first place at the “Kempinski Art Days” exhibition. In 2010, he was awarded the Grand Prize at the Balaton–Szalon Small-Scale Works Biennale. He is a member of the UNESCO International Association of Art.
The author of well-known works such as “Aman Hunter,” “Shaman,” “Sacred Cities,” and “Bird of Paradise,” the artist has played a significant role in strengthening cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Türkiye. His works, along with those of other Azerbaijani artists, are exhibited at the Konyanüma Panorama Museum in Konya.
For his contributions to the development of Azerbaijan–Türkiye cultural relations and the diaspora, Professor Anvaroglu was awarded the “Progress” medal by decree of President Ilham Aliyev.