Art and Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Art and Culture

Japanese Spring Festival Celebrates Central Asia Through Manga

A new cultural bridge between Japan and Kazakhstan was celebrated at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, where internationally acclaimed Japanese manga artist Kaoru Mori opened her exhibition, Central Asian Cuisine, as part of the international “Japanese Spring” arts festival. The project was organized by the Degdar Humanitarian Foundation with the support of JTI Kazakhstan. The exhibition introduces visitors to the culinary traditions and cultural heritage of the five Central Asian countries through the visual storytelling style of Japanese manga. The Central Asian Cuisine manga project was originally created to mark the 10th anniversary of the “Japan + Central Asia” dialogue, established in 2004 between the Government of Japan and the five Central Asian nations. According to Akmaral Ibrayeva, deputy director of the National Museum, the exhibition is one of the most distinctive cultural projects combining culinary art with national customs and traditions, while also reflecting the unique aesthetics of each country. [caption id="attachment_49172" align="aligncenter" width="624"] Photo: National Museum of Kazakhstan[/caption] Speaking at the opening ceremony, Yasumasa Iijima, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Kazakhstan, emphasized that the “Japanese Spring” festival represents “diplomacy through art,” strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between nations. The ambassador also noted that this is the second exhibition in Astana featuring Kaoru Mori’s manga works at the National Museum. “Manga is read throughout Japan from schoolchildren to the Prime Minister,” the ambassador said. “It has become one of the symbols of modern Japanese culture, and today this genre has conquered the world.” The manga tells the story of young women from the countries participating in the dialogue who introduce their Japanese friend to their national cuisines and traditional dishes. Through vivid illustrations and detailed depictions of cooking methods, the manga serves not only as an artistic work but also as a culinary guide to Central Asian food culture. According to Timur Kurmanchiyev, artistic director of the festival, a renowned musician and Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, the “Japanese Spring” festivals have become the largest and longest-running events dedicated to Japanese culture in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia. [caption id="attachment_49173" align="aligncenter" width="624"] Photo: National Museum of Kazakhstan[/caption] Guests attending the opening ceremony also enjoyed performances featuring traditional dance and choral music, adding a festive atmosphere to the exhibition. The exhibition highlights how art, cuisine, and cultural dialogue can bring nations closer together, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore Central Asian traditions through the lens of Japanese manga artistry.

Art and Culture

Central Asia Steps Out of the Post-Soviet Shadow

Central Asia is rarely presented on its own terms. It is more often viewed through exterior lenses like Russian imperial memory, Chinese reach, Silk Road romance, or great-power rivalry. The result is a region made to look secondary to the forces around it, even as its five countries carry deep histories, distinct languages, and identities that cannot be reduced to a backdrop. That old frame is starting to crack. Central Asia is finding new ways to tell its own story. The shift goes beyond tourism or national branding. It is about who gets to define the region, which is still too often seen through the things done to it or extracted from it. Culture depicts the other side of that narrative, a place that has shaped history, not merely endured it, with traditions and ideas that have long carried influence far beyond its borders. [caption id="attachment_49147" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Sky above Almaty: Qandy Qantar; image courtesy of Saule Suleimenova[/caption] Kazakhstan offers one visible example. The Almaty Museum of Arts opened on September 12, 2025, adding a major institution for modern and contemporary art. Its arrival builds on a broader shift in which private galleries, international platforms, and artists such as Aigerim Karibayeva and Saule Suleimenova are moving Kazakh art beyond folkloric shorthand toward identity, postcolonial memory, and urban life. The reopening of the Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture, in a former Soviet-era cinema, adds a sharper symbolic layer. A building once tied to Soviet public culture has become a platform for modern Central Asian voices, reflecting a scene increasingly rethinking nomadism rather than simply reproducing it. [caption id="attachment_49148" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Image: The Tselinny Center of Contemporary Culture[/caption] Uzbekistan has made culture central to its international reemergence. The inaugural Bukhara Biennial brought contemporary art into a city more often seen through its monuments, turning madrasas and caravanserais into exhibition spaces for Uzbek and world artists. The same push is visible in the Tashkent Centre for Contemporary Art, Uzbekistan’s presence at the Venice Architecture Biennale, and design projects such as When Apricots Blossom, which link heritage, craft, and the environmental disaster of the Aral Sea. Artists such as Oyjon Khayrullaeva show a younger generation reworking Islamic ornament, textiles, and public space into new visual languages. At the same time, the State Museum of Karakalpakstan in Nukus, with its Soviet-era censored works, gives the country’s art history deeper heft. In Tashkent, the Islamic Civilization Center is working on a different scale. Recognized by Guinness World Records in 2026 as the largest museum of Islamic civilization, it gives Uzbekistan a stronger role in shaping how that legacy is understood today. [caption id="attachment_49146" align="aligncenter" width="2048"] Image courtesy of Oyjon Khayrullaeva[/caption] Kyrgyzstan’s confidence rests on different ground. The sixth World Nomad Games are scheduled for August 31 to September 6, 2026, with events in Bishkek and around Issyk-Kul. That gives Kyrgyzstan a stage for living nomadic traditions, not a static museum display of them. Its contemporary art scene adds a more intimate layer, with artists such as...

TCA Interviews

Kazakh Writer Aigul Klinovskaya on Memory, Identity, and the Rise of Contemporary Literature

In recent years, interest in contemporary literature has grown noticeably in Kazakhstan. Authors are increasingly reaching readers directly, taking part in public events, promoting their books through social media, and speaking about local experiences as part of a broader cultural landscape. The Times of Central Asia spoke with Kazakhstani writer Aigul Klinovskaya about her path into literature, the role of memory and place in her prose, and what contemporary authors need today to gain greater visibility both within the country and abroad. TCA: To begin with, please tell us a little about yourself. How did you become a writer? Aigul: I came to literature from IT, that is a well-known fact, and something I often mention in interviews. I worked at a large telecommunications company and headed a department, but at a certain point, I completely changed my field of activity. Now I write my own books and also help other authors shape their manuscripts as a literary editor and mentor. People work with me to finish and refine their manuscripts, increasing their chances of publication or success in literary competitions. TCA: When did you first feel that writing was not just an interest for you, but an important part of your life? Aigul: I tried writing as a child. I had a science fiction novella with an interesting story behind it: I sent it to a children’s magazine, and they replied that the work was good but still needed improvement. I was offended and, in the heat of the moment, destroyed the manuscript. I regret that now because it would have been interesting to reread it. As a child, I wrote poems and short stories; many people go through that stage. But I began writing prose seriously about five years ago. At that time, I took part in a writing marathon, wrote a short story, and it was immediately included in an anthology. That inspired me: I realized that I could and wanted to write fiction. The transition from short stories to longer forms was not easy. I wondered whether I could do it and whether I would manage. But now two of my books have already been published, and a third is coming out in June, so something must be working. Many people are surprised to learn that, for most of my life, I was not involved in literature professionally but worked in a completely different field. Now, however, I feel that I am in the right place. TCA: Your texts often pay close attention to a person’s inner life, to memory, and to the warmth of everyday relationships. Why are these themes close to you? Aigul: I am interested in people in general, their relationships and emotions. As an author, I want readers, when they immerse themselves in my books, to feel something: to cry at some moments, laugh at others, smile, and reflect. I believe that every person’s fate is worthy of a book because many remarkable things happen in life. If they are described well,...

TCA Interviews

Artist Aigerim Karibayeva on How Kazakhstan Is Searching for Its Visual Identity

Kazakh artist Aigerim Karibayeva is part of a new visual wave that seeks to blend traditional culture and contemporary aesthetics. Her distinctive style – bright, airy, almost spring-like imagery infused with ethnic motifs and scenes from everyday life – has moved beyond social media into major exhibition spaces. Her works are currently on display at the Kasteyev State Museum of Arts, where her solo exhibition My Sky Above Me recently opened. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, she discusses how she coined the term “ethno-modernism,” why ethnic aesthetics is surging in popularity, and how Kazakhstan is searching for its own visual identity. TCA: Aigerim, you describe your work as “ethno-modernism.” How did you arrive at that concept? Aigerim Karibayeva: I started moving in this direction and sharing my work on Instagram several years ago. I quickly found my audience; there was strong interest from the media and many interviews. To talk about my work, I needed a term that would define it, something verbal. But I didn’t want to call it simply “contemporary art,” because that didn’t reflect the essence of what I do. I thought: why not call it “ethno-modernism”? I consulted the well-known art historian Olga Baturina, and she approved. The term immediately caught on. I now see it used in the press, on social media, and even in the profiles of young designers. Today, “ethno-modernism” is used to describe an entire wave of artists and designers, the boom we’ve been seeing over the past five years. TCA: Why do you think ethno-modernism has become so popular now? Aigerim Karibayeva: I think it’s been building for a long time. I’m trained as a graphic designer, so I have a strong visual awareness. I saw how interest in national style and ethnic elements gradually emerged in the country. First, businesses began using it in branding, then advertising picked it up, and eventually it spread into mass culture. Now, ethnic elements combined with modern aesthetics have become a visible part of everyday life. [caption id="attachment_48156" align="aligncenter" width="2000"] From a personal photo archive[/caption] TCA: That was especially noticeable during recent Nauryz celebrations – everyone seemed to be wearing ethnic-inspired clothing. Aigerim Karibayeva: Exactly. Everyone is searching for a new cultural code right now, artists, musicians, filmmakers, craftspeople. At first, you create something within your own circle, among fellow artists, and then it spreads outward. You start seeing and hearing it everywhere, for example, in new interpretations of Kazakh music. You recognize that mix, and it becomes a kind of key. You try to translate that same cultural fusion into your own work. I’ve had people tell me they were inspired by my work. One woman approached me and said that after seeing a traditional headpiece, a taqiya, in my illustration, she was inspired to start making them herself and launched a successful business. That’s how this wave works, there’s a ripple effect, and everyone picks it up. TCA: There’s clearly strong demand for ethnic aesthetics right now. Aigerim...

Ballet

From Kazakhstan to International Ballet: Meirambek Nazargozhayev’s Rise

Meirambek Nazargozhayev’s journey is a remarkable story of talent, determination, and transformation. Hailing from the small village of Karaoy in Kazakhstan’s Almaty region, he grew up like many boys in the countryside, playing football and the dombra, with little connection to the world of classical ballet. Today, however, he is a principal soloist at the Royal Danish Theatre, one of Europe’s most prestigious cultural institutions. Ballet was not part of Nazargozhayev’s childhood dreams. His path changed thanks to his aunt Farida, a choreographic instructor in Almaty, who noticed his potential early on and encouraged him to pursue dance. At the age of ten, he entered professional training, marking the beginning of an unexpected but extraordinary career. Creativity had always been part of his life. He recalls being drawn to music and performance from an early age, playing instruments, exploring artistic interests, and taking part in local cultural activities. In 2006, he was admitted to a choreographic school in Almaty, where he trained intensively. Watching dancers glide and leap across the stage left a lasting impression, turning his initial curiosity into a deep passion for ballet. [caption id="attachment_48150" align="aligncenter" width="300"] From a personal photo archive[/caption] With consistent effort and discipline, Nazargozhayev soon began gaining international recognition and winning awards. His artistic path echoes the words of Rabindranath Tagore, who described art as an expression of the inner self. While many of his classmates aimed to join local theaters in Astana or Almaty, Nazargozhayev aspired to build a career abroad. He first moved to Moscow, where he spent eight months working at a major theater, performing key roles and refining his skills. Eager to broaden his horizons, he then turned to Europe, known for its rich ballet traditions and high professional standards. His European career began in Kiel, Germany, where his distinctive style and talent quickly earned him a contract. He flourished there, particularly in contemporary dance, a genre he continues to value deeply. During his time in Germany, he heard a great deal about the Royal Danish Theatre, which soon became his ultimate goal. An offer from a major theater in Madrid followed, promising strong prospects. Shortly afterward, however, he received an invitation from the Royal Danish Theatre, the very stage he had long dreamed of joining. [caption id="attachment_48151" align="aligncenter" width="300"] From a personal photo archive[/caption] “I was in disbelief,” he admits. “I had applied, but I never imagined I would actually be accepted.” After joining the company, Nazargozhayev made an immediate impact by performing a solo role in Jiří Kylián’s ballet 27’52”, an opportunity rarely given to new members. His performance captivated both audiences and colleagues, establishing him as a standout artist. Over the past eight years, he has continued to grow professionally, appearing on major stages across Europe, China, North America, and at the Kremlin Palace. In recognition of his excellence and dedication, the Royal Danish Theatre granted him a lifelong soloist contract, an honor reserved for only the most distinguished performers. He has also performed before the Danish...

Milan Design Week

Uzbekistan’s ‘When Apricots Blossom’ Shortlisted for Fuorisalone Award at Milan Design Week

Uzbekistan’s first national exhibition at Milan Design Week 2026 has closed with strong international recognition, drawing large crowds and earning praise from critics for its focus on culture, craft, and environmental change. Titled When Apricots Blossom, the exhibition ran from April 20 to 26 at Palazzo Citterio, welcoming around 25,000 visitors over seven days. Organized by the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation (ACDF), the project was commissioned by its chairperson Gayane Umerova and curated by architect Kulapat Yantrasast, founder of WHY Architecture. The exhibition was shortlisted for the main Fuorisalone Award, which recognizes leading installations among the thousands of events held across Milan during the week. It also received a Special Mention from a panel of media partners and critics. The jury praised the project for creating “a dialogue between the space and the content” and for encouraging deeper engagement with its themes. Uzbekistan’s debut comes at a time when design is increasingly addressing global challenges, including climate change and sustainability. In this context, When Apricots Blossom stood out for its focus on the Aral Sea region, one of the world’s most widely recognized environmental disasters. [caption id="attachment_47943" align="aligncenter" width="451"] Cooking demonstration led by Bayrangul. Still from the film Where the Water Ends by Manuel Correa and Marina Otero 2026. Courtesy of ACDF[/caption] Over the past six decades, the Aral Sea has largely disappeared, reshaping life in Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region in northwestern Uzbekistan. The exhibition explored how communities in the area have adapted to these changes, not only through new solutions but also through long-standing traditions. Rather than presenting craft as something of the past, the project framed it as a form of living knowledge. “Our intention was for the Aral Sea to be recognized not only as a site of loss, but as a lens through which design considers broader questions of climate, culture, and responsibility,” Umerova said. She emphasized that collaboration played a key role in the exhibition. Designers from different countries worked alongside Uzbek and Karakalpak artisans, creating a space for exchange between tradition and contemporary practice. “The knowledge exchange between our craftspeople and international designers has helped reconnect past, present, and future,” she said. Inside Palazzo Citterio, visitors moved through installations centered on three fundamental aspects of life: food, shelter, and clothing. These were represented through bread-making, yurt-building, and textile weaving, practices that have helped communities adapt to changing environments. Twelve designers created new works inspired by these traditions, including bread trays and stamps used in the preparation of non, a staple of Uzbek cuisine. Made from materials such as wood, ceramics, felt, and reeds, the objects reflected both local resources and evolving design approaches. The exhibition also included artifacts selected by participants of the Aral School, an international educational program focused on the region through design and research. A film, Where the Water Ends, offered visitors a closer look at the lives and landscapes shaped by the disappearance of the sea. For Yantrasast, the project marks the beginning of a longer process. “This...