Leyla Aliyeva, the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, and Arzu Aliyeva attended the ceremony.

Anar Alakbarov, the Director of the Heydar Aliyev Center, in his keynote speech noted that residents and visitors of Baku are welcome to enjoy Bernard Buffet’s exhibition for several month to come. The speaker emphasized the role of Leyla Aliyeva as the driving force behind the whole project.

Leyla Aliyeva, the Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, taking the floor afterwards, said the following:

“I am very pleased to see you all at the opening ceremony of the French Artist Bernard Buffet hosted by the Heydar Aliyev Center. While some of you are famailiar with his works, the majority will get to know him for the first time today. Personally I first came accross his canvasses two years ago, and I got fallen in love with them ever since. For me, his works are imbued with emotion, sentimens and profundity. Even the most gloomy and wistful of them still do convey a positive message.

Buffet left the legacy of more than 12 hundred works. Despite a very eventful and dramatic life he lived, he is to a great extent consigned to oblivion now. So I do cherish the hope that today’s show will shed the light to this artist or many of you, as it happened to me once.”

Jean-David Malat, the Director of London Opera Gallery, also speaking at the ceremony, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to all those involved in the arrangement of the show.

The artist’s first display in Baku features 43 works.

The Exhibition will last until January 15, 2015.