Art and Culture - The Times Of Central Asia

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Uzbek Art

Mapping the Inner Landscape: An Interview with Oyjon Khayrullaeva

In recent years, a new generation of Uzbek artists has begun to reshape how culture, history, and identity are visually narrated. Among them is Oyjon Khayrullaeva, whose practice moves fluidly between photography, digital collage, and large-scale public installations. Born after independence and largely self-trained outside formal art institutions, Khayrullaeva works with inherited visual languages such as Islamic ornament and traditional textiles, reassembling them into contemporary forms that speak to the present moment. Her recent project for the Bukhara Biennial, called “Eight Lives,” marks a turning point in this exploration. Installed in the public and historical spaces of the ancient city, the work consists of monumental mosaic organs that connect physical vulnerability with emotional states and collective memory. Through the human body, Khayrullaeva maps experiences of anxiety, healing, spirituality, and social pressure, transforming ornament into anatomy and architecture into inner landscape. The Times of Central Asia spoke with the artist to trace how Eight Lives emerged, how collaboration with mosaic masters shaped its final form, and how audiences in Uzbekistan are responding to seeing contemporary art in public spaces. TCA: Can you tell me about your beginnings as an artist? Did you always want to become one? Khayrullaeva: From early childhood, my parents noticed that there was something a bit unusual about me. My father has always called me - and still does - an “alien,” because I’m probably the only person in my family who chose a creative path. No one else in my family has been involved in art, at least not for the past seven generations. I was always a creative child, but I never imagined that I would become an artist. As a child, I tried many things; I went to music school, studied piano, and attended various creative clubs. Still, the idea of pursuing art professionally never crossed my mind. Becoming an artist was, in many ways, an unexpected turn in my life. For a very long time, honestly, until around the age of 24, I had no clear idea of what I wanted to do or what my profession would be. I was never certain about it. So yes, life is an interesting thing. You never really know where it’s going to lead you. TCA: Your artistic journey began with photography before evolving into digital collage. How did your early work in photography shape the way you now approach layering, texture, and composition in your digital pieces? Khayrullaeva: When I was around 17 or 18, I became interested in photography. At that time, I didn’t have a camera, so I was shooting with my phone. For my birthday, I was given some money, and I decided to use it to buy a camera. My father added a bit more, and I bought my very first one. It was an incredible feeling taking photos, holding the camera, and shooting. Mobile photography and working with a camera are completely different experiences, and that difference brought me so much joy. I remember the pure pleasure of photographing everything...

TCA Interviews

La Tregua: A Bridge Across Wars and Worlds – An Interview with Director Miguel Ángel Vivas

In the misty green heart of Bizkaia, where mountains rise like ancient sentinels and the air carries the scent of rain and earth, a remarkable filmmaking journey unfurled. This is where director Miguel Ángel Vivas Moreno, known for Money Heist (La Casa de Papel), Cicatriz, Desaparecidos, and Secuestrados, reconstructed one of the most haunting landscapes of the twentieth century: a Soviet gulag on the distant Kazakh steppe. His new film, La Tregua (The Truce), invites viewers into a story based on actual events that unfolded far from Spain, but holds deep ties to its history. It traces the ordeal of Spanish prisoners during World War II who fell into Soviet hands and were compelled to endure the harsh, frozen conditions of a labor camp. Their struggle becomes a bridge between past and present, between countries and cultures, and between two men who must learn to recognize each other beyond the uniforms that once made them enemies. [caption id="attachment_40358" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] All images courtesy of the production[/caption] The project is an unprecedented Spanish-Kazakh co-production from Spassk 99, AIE, Amanat Capital, LTD, and Umaifilm, LLP. This partnership gives the film a reach that feels genuinely cross-continental. It is a motion picture passport that opens a window onto a forgotten corner of global history. At the center of the story are Miguel Herrán and Arón Piper, who step into the roles of Reyes and Salgado. The characters appear as ideological enemies; having fought on opposing sides during the Spanish Civil War, both carry heavy psychological baggage. Inside the camp, their former certainties fall away. What begins as uneasy coexistence becomes an inward journey shaped by hunger, fear, and the starkness of their new reality. Executive producer César Benítez recalls searching for two actors capable of expressing both the physical exhaustion of imprisonment and the spark of hope that keeps a person standing. He says that the moment he saw Miguel and Arón together, he recognized that rare blend of fragility and fire. Miguel Ángel Vivas talked to TCA to break down the challenges and highlights behind the production. [caption id="attachment_40356" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] All images courtesy of the production[/caption] TCA: The story is fictional, but it is based on real events in Kazakhstan. Can you explain the historical context and how it inspired La Tregua? Miguel: The story begins with a documentary about Spaniards in the Soviet gulags. That’s where we discovered that republicans and fascists shared the same prison two years after the Spanish Civil War ended. It struck us as a fascinating starting point for a human story about the relationships that formed between them. [caption id="attachment_40357" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] All images courtesy of the production[/caption] TCA: The premise is intriguing: how two fighters on opposite sides of the Spanish Civil War end up in a gulag in Kazakhstan. In an increasingly polarized world, is there a lesson in the film to help heal the wounds that divide Spain, or even the world in general? Miguel: That was the idea! In such a...

TCA Interviews

TCA Interview: Director Yernar Nurgaliyev: “It’s Time for Kazakh Cinema to Make Its Mark on the World”

Yernar Nurgaliyev still describes painting as his first love. Only now, instead of a brush, he uses a camera, and instead of a canvas, a screen. Today he shoots comedies, and dreams of a Kazakh multiverse where heroes never die. He is certain of one thing: Kazakh culture will be eternal, and he is doing everything possible to make it so. The Times of Central Asia spoke with the director about how he entered film, what he plans to shoot next, and why he believes it is time for Kazakhstan to make itself known to the world. TCA: Your films are always visually striking. Is this because you were originally trained as an artist? Nurgaliyev: Yes. I graduated from art college, then enrolled at the Zhurgenov Academy of Arts to study set design. I thought I would deepen my craft, but the first courses turned out to be a repeat of the college programme. I was very bored, so I decided to go to work. I didn’t start with music videos, but as an assistant propmaster. At that time, senior students recruited assistants from among firstyear students. An energetic girl, a production designer, asked me to help her with her diploma. Before that, I wasn’t interested in cinema at all, I lived for painting: I painted from life and did portraits. But when I saw the filmset, it was “wow.” I realised I wanted to work there. And I stopped going to the academy. I wanted to quit, but they wouldn’t let me. TCA: But you still got your diploma? Nurgaliyev: Yes, although it was difficult. I had nothing to do at the academy, still life, portraits, I had already done all that in college. There, they didn’t break us but helped us find our own style. At the academy, it was the opposite: the teacher said, “Draw like me.” But I can’t draw like someone else. I can only draw in my own way. TCA: Do you paint now? Nurgaliyev: I hardly have any time, but I recently picked up a brush again, and my hand remembers everything. Oil, watercolour, gouache, it’s as if there was no break. I am grateful to my hand; it remembers everything it was taught. TCA: Which is more important, talent or perseverance? Nurgaliyev: There are people who are gifted by God. But a gift is only the beginning. If you slack off and don’t develop, nothing will come of it. The worst thing is when a person is gifted but does nothing with it. I don’t sit still. If I have one day without work, it feels like I haven’t filmed for a year. I always need to be on the move. If the pause drags on, I start calling my friends myself: “Let’s come up with something.” [caption id="attachment_39639" align="aligncenter" width="300"] @Galiya Baizhanova[/caption] TCA: This year, you turned down many projects, choosing instead to focus on another film. Is this a new stage? Nurgaliyev: I’ve matured. Next year, I plan to shoot three of...

Art and Culture

AI Creator Ilona Brazhnik on Kazakh Myths and Creative Freedom

Alena Brazhnikova, better known by her pseudonym Ilona Brazhnik, is in many ways a product of her time. A decade ago, she was transferring art onto skin as a tattoo artist. Today, she creates viral videos powered by artificial intelligence, bringing to life mermaids, Zvezdy, and mythological girls with hooves and wings, symbols of a digital era in which neural networks replace paintbrushes, yet the pursuit of beauty, meaning, and freedom remains unchanged. TCA: Ilona, did your artistic journey begin with tattooing? Brazhnik: Yes, it all started rather quickly. When I began, there weren’t many artists in Karaganda, a mining town in central Kazakhstan, offering the style I worked in. At the time, "old school" tattoos with bold, rough lines were popular. But I wanted to explore subtlety, fine lines, and detailed work. Inspired by European artists, I posted an ad online. Within a month, I was fully booked for the next three months. My client base grew on its own because I was offering something different. TCA: Are there particular tattoo motifs that resonate with you? Brazhnik: I wouldn’t say I have one favorite. I rotate motifs regularly to avoid burnout. But I do love working with thin lines and soft dot shading, it gives the image depth and detail. [caption id="attachment_38469" align="aligncenter" width="417"] @ilona_brazhnik[/caption] TCA: The tattoo trend seems to have quieted. Is that your impression too? Brazhnik: Absolutely. The hype has passed. There was a time when everyone was getting tattooed just for the sake of it. Now, people are more thoughtful. They take their time, consult with others, and carefully choose their designs. The “everyone’s doing it, so I will too” trend ended around eight years ago. TCA: You’ve transitioned to AI and now earn money creating videos? Brazhnik: You could put it that way. There’s definitely demand for AI-generated content. But I didn’t start doing it for the money, I just found it interesting. When people started to respond positively to my work, I thought, why not? TCA: Your videos are visually striking. How much does a project like that cost? Brazhnik: It depends on the complexity. Is it a brand advertisement or a fantasy story? Do you need to showcase clothing, jewelry, or a specific location? Will the same character appear throughout? And of course, duration matters. I can only quote a price once I receive the technical brief. TCA: Are brand commissions more expensive? Brazhnik: Not necessarily. I never charged tattoo clients more just because they could afford it. It depends on the task. Brand work is usually more technically demanding. AI doesn’t like repetition; it redraws objects each time, so logos, packaging, and inscriptions often need to be added manually. I once made a video where glasses were disassembled into ornaments and then reassembled. When asked to replicate it, it took 20-30 failed attempts. AI just doesn’t do “exactly the same.” TCA: Did you start making videos to grow your TikTok and monetize content? Brazhnik: In Kazakhstan, you can’t earn money from...

Silk Road

The Artistic Brilliance of Central Asia Takes Center Stage at Sotheby’s

On October 29, Sotheby’s will host its Arts of the Islamic World and India sale, featuring a dazzling selection of manuscripts, ceramics, metalwork, and jewelry that together trace the creative reach of Central Asia across six centuries. The auction highlights how the region’s artists shaped Islamic visual culture from the early medieval period to the Timurid age. Among the most important works is a rare page from the monumental Baysunghur Qur’an, produced around 1400 in Herat or Samarkand. Another piece connects to the earlier Samanid Dynasty, whose rule from Bukhara and Tashkent fostered a flourishing of calligraphic pottery in the ninth and tenth centuries. The Arab geographer al-Maqdisi once praised the “large bowls from Shash,” an early name for Tashkent, noting their reputation throughout the Islamic world. [caption id="attachment_38298" align="aligncenter" width="1797"] A line from the 'Baysunghur Qur'an', attributed to 'Umar al-Aqta, Herat or Samarkand, circa 1400; image: Sotheby's[/caption] Two colorful Timurid mosaic tiles from the fourteenth or fifteenth century illustrate the architectural splendor of Samarkand and Herat. Their glazed patterns in cobalt, turquoise, and white once formed part of vast decorative panels in mosques and mausoleums. The geometric interlace and stylized foliage that define them became a visual signature of Timurid architecture, a style that spread from Central Asia to Persia and India. [caption id="attachment_38301" align="aligncenter" width="1346"] A Golden Horde turquoise and pearl-set gold belt or necklace, Pontic-Caspian Steppe, 14th century; image: Sotheby's[/caption] The Times of Central Asia spoke with Frankie Keyworth, a specialist in Islamic and Indian Art at Sotheby’s, for a closer look. TCA: How did manuscripts like the Baysunghur Qur’an serve as symbols of power and faith in the Timurid court, and what does its immense scale - a Qur’an so vast it took two people to turn a page - reveal about the empire’s ambition, artistry, and self-image? Keyworth: The manuscript was a hugely ambitious and challenging project, even just by the tools it would take to create, with monumental sheets of paper measuring 177 by 101cm., and a large pen whose nib would have to measure over 1cm. Displayed on a magnificent marble stand, the manuscript would be a staggering visual representation of the patron’s wealth and piety. Their subsequent use during public recitation reinforced the elite’s religious aspirations. The fact that this manuscript is unsurpassed by any other medieval Qur’an and remains so valued centuries after it was produced at the turn of the 15th century reveals the key role manuscripts played in the establishment of the Timurid dynastic image. [caption id="attachment_38299" align="aligncenter" width="1346"] A Timurid brass jug (mashrabe), Herat, Afghanistan, 15th-early 16th century; image: Sotheby's[/caption] TCA: A brass jug from Herat shaped like a Chinese vase, a ceramic bowl from Tashkent inscribed in Arabic script - these objects tell of traders, scholars, and artists linking worlds from Samarkand to Beijing long before globalization had a name. What can you tell us about how this trade transpired, and are there similarities to modern transport corridors? Keyworth: Trade via the so-called Silk Road endured for...

Food

In The Kitchen: A Reflection of Taste and Art, Savoring the Color of Flavor

In the culinary world, all eyes have turned towards Almaty, as the city becomes the stage for In the Kitchen: Anniversary Edition, an international project uniting haute cuisine and contemporary art. This year’s edition centers on Austrian conceptual artist Norbert Brunner-Lienz, whose work explores how language and reflection shape perception, turning words and images into immersive experiences. At Laureate Grand Café, his installation has become the heart of a three-night gastro-performance. Mirrored surfaces invite guests to see themselves within the art, blurring the line between viewer and participant. Each reflection reveals the unseen link between seeing and being seen, transforming perception into part of the artwork. Light and meaning shift with every glance. [caption id="attachment_38089" align="alignnone" width="1600"] Image: Ilyas Otan[/caption] Brunner, who lives and works between Vienna and New York, is personally presenting the project in Almaty, with guests having the opportunity to meet him, learn about his creative philosophy, and experience how his art connects the visual, linguistic, and culinary worlds. The gastronomic performance is led by Michelin-starred twin chefs Dominik Sato and Fabio Toffolon from The Chedi Andermatt in Switzerland. Inspired by the Japanese concept of ichi-go ichi-e, the art of treasuring each unrepeatable moment, their menu transforms dining into a multisensory journey. Completing the team is Yoshiko Sato, pastry chef at The Japanese (two MICHELIN stars), celebrated for desserts that balance technical mastery with grace and feeling. [caption id="attachment_38090" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Image: Ilyas Otan[/caption] Education plays a key role in this edition. Students from Almaty Technological University (ATU) will attend free masterclasses with the Michelin-starred chefs. Workshops are being held at both the Laureate Grand Café and ATU, giving young chefs direct access to the world of haute cuisine. Among the special guests are Giliola Masseroni, owner of Gioielleria Maison “Giglio” in Cremona, Italy; Olga Daniele, founder of 365 ART in Switzerland; and Ainur Akhmetova, founder of Laureate Grand Café and co-founder of In the Kitchen. Olga Daniele imagined In the Kitchen as a dialogue between art and gastronomy, where creative thought is served alongside taste and texture. In collaboration with Ainur Akhmetova, she brings this vision to Kazakhstan, weaving together good food with art to create an experience that speaks to all the senses. [caption id="attachment_38091" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] Image: Ilyas Otan[/caption] Their partnership rethinks how we encounter art and eating: not as separate disciplines, but as intertwined forms of expression that reveal how creation lives in every brush stroke, flavour, and idea. A forthcoming book of culinary art will capture this collaboration, inviting readers to engage with these themes further. In the Kitchen: Anniversary Edition unfolds as a shared act of creation, where food becomes a language and creativity takes shape in the exchange between those who make and those who taste. The event will be held at the Laureate Grand Café, 85 Bogenbai Batyr St., Almaty, from October 23–25, 2025.