Samir Rakhmanov: Clarity in Storytelling

Samir Rakhmanov won a Jackson’s Choice Award in Jackson’s Art Prize this year with his work Apple Tree. In this interview, he discusses what he’s been up to since winning a Guest Judge’s Choice award in 2025, how a commission became a springboard for new work, and why some symbols are too strong to ignore.

Above image: Samir in the studio

Josephine: It’s been almost a year since we last spoke, after The Burial won an award in Jackson’s Art Prize 2025. What have you been up to since then?

Samir: 2025 was quite a busy year in terms of work. After being honored with an award in Jackson’s Art Prize, I went on to participate in a couple of exhibitions, both locally and internationally. There was also a greater effort to look for and participate in more open calls. But it’s a tough job!

The studio remained busy as well, resulting in over 40 new works and several commissioned projects. The focus was more on experimenting with subject matter and form than with materials. My main materials remained the usual oil paints, gouache, and oil pastel. In between all of that, I also continued teaching online painting courses.

Lately, in 2026, my focus has been on a series of paintings centered around seaside and beach scenes, testing different ways of storytelling through shapes, color, and figures.

Josephine: What were you thinking about or exploring at the time you made Apple Tree? What inspired it, and how did it come to be?

Samir: The subject of harvest and apple picking had been in my head for a long time. In 2024, I tried a smaller work on the topic. The idea always seemed so simple and universal, yet complex in its possibilities and meanings, which intrigued me.

The composition for Apple Tree, however, came from a commissioned painting I was asked to create for a client. I had complete freedom with the commission, so I decided to try this subject of apple picking, which I was sure would work for the collector. In the end, out of the two composition ideas, my client chose the other one. That painting, called Harvest Time, was also selected for Jackson’s Art Prize 2026 and reached the longlist, if I’m not mistaken. It had a similar subject—picking apples—but a completely different color idea and mood.

After finishing the commission, I was left with the sketch for Apple Tree, which I really wanted to paint, as it was my personal favorite of the two sketches presented to the client. So, in the end, I spent a few months working on it in the autumn of 2025.

Josephine: What made you submit this piece to Jackson’s Art Prize?

Samir: I was more or less pleased with how the painting turned out. I wanted to try exhibiting it, as I felt it “had something to say,” and was also interested in how it might look on walls outside my studio. Since I have been pushing myself to work more on bigger canvases, it felt important to start exhibiting these bigger works as well.

The painting was shown locally in early February, but I also thought about submitting it to Jackson’s again this year. I wasn’t sure it would reach the shortlist or win an award, especially considering that I had already won one the previous year. But in the end, it all worked out great, I suppose!

Josephine: You’ve mentioned the allegorical and symbolic elements of Apple Tree, from biblical references to interpretations of adolescence. Was it your intention to explore these themes from the outset, or did they become more apparent as the painting developed?

Samir: I wouldn’t say it was there from the start or that it was the reason I wanted to paint this scene. But the symbolism appeared almost immediately as I began making studies and sketches for it. Biblical references are difficult to ignore whenever apples are depicted, even though the Bible never identifies the forbidden fruit in Eden as an apple. But the symbol is already there, and the apple tree in general has been a powerful symbol throughout history.

The idea of adolescence, however, came earlier, while I was thinking about the landscape in the background. I started remembering certain childhood experiences and the landscapes of Azerbaijan from that time, with their hills and trees. Somehow, this led me to add a second figure—a boy in the background—to convey the feeling of childhood friendship, when the older child grows up and matures more quickly, making the transition from childhood to adolescence.

As I pushed the painting further, all these different ideas ended up staying in the piece. Of course, I never want to push a particular interpretation onto the viewer or make them see it in the same way. I’m happier when the viewer unpacks the painting differently.

Josephine: How did it feel to progress through the competition and ultimately win a Jackson’s Choice Award, especially after your success last year?

Samir: Yeah, it was totally unexpected! I thought that, out of all my entries, some might reach the longlist at best. But when I saw that Apple Tree had reached the shortlist, I was already so happy and felt that I had basically achieved my goal. Then, getting the news that the painting had won an award was very flattering and definitely made my day!

Josephine: What’s coming up next for you?

Samir: As mentioned earlier, I’m developing a series of paintings and trying to take my work in a new direction, with a greater sense of clarity and cohesion. There are already several sketches that I’d love to start developing on bigger canvases.

In terms of teaching, some new online courses are planned for 2027, which are currently in development.

I also want to become more involved in exhibitions and show my work at physical venues. So another goal is to find venues and galleries to work with.

Follow Samir on Instagram
Visit Samir’s website

Further Reading

Meet Angela Lizon, Winner of Jackson’s Art Prize 2026

Jackson’s Art Prize 2026 First Prize Winner Announced

How We Collaborate With Artists

Expert Advice on Making Your Way as an Artist

Shop Oil Painting on jacksonsart.com