Exhibition preview: Dancing on Bones, Gazelli Art House, London, January 18 – March 7 2013

Being one of – if not the first – artist from Azerbaijan to have a UK solo show is not the only idiosyncrasy Niyaz Najafov can claim.

Originally a soldier who trained others in hand-to-hand combat, Najafov put his talent for learning to painterly use when he began experimenting with oils in 2004, going on to inhabit the Azerbaijan Pavilion at the 53rd Venice Biennial and exhibit in Paris, Moscow, Berlin and Geneva.

A survey of the contemporary art scene in the new Soviet frontier, called Fly to Baku, was seen last January at London’s Philip de Pury space. And this new selection by Najafov aims to be distinctive and dark, reflecting the passionate, humorous and tender sides to the human condition.

• Gazelli Art House, Dover Street, London. Open 10am-6pm (11am-7pm Saturday, 12pm-5pm Sunday). Admission free. Follow the gallery on Twitter @GazelliArtHouse.

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