Art-de-Light is a project where light becomes a carrier of memory, and personal recollections are transformed into a visual language. Ilgar Rustambeyli’s works balance between pop art aesthetics and emotional depth, combining epoxy resin, graphic lines, and the soft glow of a lightbox. In this interview, the artist speaks about his path to art, his sources of inspiration, and how inner experience takes shape through light.
Could you tell us more about your Art-de-Light project?
Art-de-Light is my original project in which the combination of epoxy resin and light has evolved into an independent artistic language. My works are illuminated art panels where pop art aesthetics meet the depth of color and the soft glow of a lightbox. They create an atmosphere of joy and warmth, fill the space with light, and evoke in the viewer a sincere sense of inner comfort.
How do you choose the themes for your works?
The themes of my works are almost always connected with personal history: childhood memories, travels, significant moments, favorite drinks and objects, symbols, horses, fruits — everything that accompanied my life and left an emotional imprint. Thanks to this sincerity, the works acquire universality: every viewer finds in them something of their own, something close and warm.
You did not come to art immediately. How did this journey begin?
I was born in Baku; however, a significant part of my life was spent outside Azerbaijan. For a long time, I worked in large international companies and remained a person of the business world, while always preserving a love for art within myself. Drawing has accompanied me since childhood, although I never pursued it professionally. The turning point was the support of my wife, Lilia, who for many years inspired me, believed in my talent, gave me canvases, and gently encouraged creative experimentation.
Today, Art-de-Light is already a fully formed artistic language. How do you work with materials?
I am drawn to multilayered structures. Epoxy resin creates a sense of depth, black lines define the structure, color conveys emotion, and light animates the entire composition. Each work exists in two states: during the day it is perceived as a graphic panel, while in the evening, with the backlighting switched on, it reveals itself in a completely different way.
What does this exhibition mean to you?
For me, it is about light, memory, and joy. About how personal moments become art, and art becomes a source of inner warmth.
