VarYox Legendary Creatures: An Azerbaijani Bestiary What do animals teach us about ourselves? Inspired by the Big Five of Azerbaijan, Legendary Creatures examines animals as central protagonists of our foundational narratives, folk wisdom, and imagination, and how encounters with animals shape us and fill our lives with meaning. We consider how animals, from mythical creatures in legend to the animals that inhabit our wild spaces today, are carriers of indigenous knowledge and identity, their lives intertwining with ours. The exhibition draws on the medieval tradition of the illuminated bestiary, illustrated manuscripts that use animal traits as moral and allegorical lessons, casting the natural world as a mirror for humanity. The Big Five are icons of both past and future. Like the bestiary's creatures, they hold meaning beyond their physical presence, but their fate is not yet fixed. They must be celebrated and protected – we must not let them pass into myth. Six participating artists have created public artworks inspired by the Big Five: Vusala Agharaziyeva – The Long Way Home (Canis lupus cubanensis) https://www.instagram.com/vusalaagaraziyeva/ Rashad Alakbarov – Leopard (Panthera pardus ciscaucasica) https://www.instagram.com/rashad_alakbarov.artist/ Leyla Gabulova – The Guardian (Ursus arctos caucasicus) https://www.instagram.com/occultalunaepars/ Orkhan Huseynov – Crystal Gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) https://www.instagram.com/_orkhan_huseynov/ Farid Rasulov – Kings of the Mountain (Aquila heliaca) https://www.instagram.com/faridrasulovartist/ Sitara Ibrahimbayli – Bakuvians (uniting all) https://www.instagram.com/sitaraibrahimbayli/ Curated by VarYox Art Platform: Dr Lesley Gray and Sitara Ibrahimbayli and managed by Tanzila Baghirova Short description: Legendary Creatures considers the Big Five of Azerbaijan as allegory, icon, and endangered species – asking how nature shapes the stories that shape us.