I graduated from Azerbaijan State Art College in 1988 and have been exhibiting my works since 1989.I have been privileged to get my first and most important lessons in art and life from my father well known Azerbaijani artist Tal'at Shikhaliyev. I have participated in numerous groups and solo shows throughout Europe, the Middle East and the United States. In 1999 I moved to the United States where I have resided and worked ever since.

Sometimes the source of my artwork is a visual experience; sometimes a word or note opens a door to a new path. I am fascinated by the complexity of the nature of visual perception. I want my work to reveal the energy that belies the surface. The constant movement that creates objects and events, the “thickness of the space” and relationships form an atmosphere.

I have been teaching art in the Washington DC metropolitan area since 2000 and in addition to the private tutoring I currently teach drawing and painting class at The Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts
Program.