Kazakh Art - The Times Of Central Asia

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Art and Inspiration: Capturing the Essence of Almaty

With colorful illustrations of landmarks, natural monuments, and city-life moments, Aidana Niyazalieva’s postcards of Almaty stand out. TCA spoke with the artist to learn more about her inspiration, creative process, and challenges behind her postcards and the Almaty arts scene. TCA: What inspired you to start making postcards of Almaty? I've been drawing since I can remember; everything surrounding me – my room, the streets, and the buildings – inspires me. This led me to study architecture. However, after working as an architect, I realized that my passion for drawing was stronger. I decided to try it, eventually devoting myself to illustration and turning this hobby into a profession. I started with the city I grew up in, Almaty, and created a few postcards of the views I walked past the most. This became a way to combine everything I love - art, architecture, and my love for the city. TCA: How do you decide which landmarks, views, or themes to feature in your postcards? I choose places and themes close to me that evoke an emotional connection in people. Usually, the ideas come from my walks around the city. During my walks, I take many photos for possible drawings. Sometimes, a few buildings of the same type could grow into a series of illustrations, as in the “Houses“ postcard set that was united by the old houses of the Soviet period located in a Golden Square area. Also, I might get requests from people about places they would like to see, as happened with the Kazakhstan Hotel or Esentai River illustrations. TCA: What is your favorite spot in Almaty to capture in your art, and why? My favorite place in Almaty is the old city center. Its unique architecture, with characteristic features from different periods from neoclassical to modernist buildings, and its streets with cafes and terraces have always attracted my attention. Those buildings keep their history, whether these are old houses with sophisticated details or monumental facades of theaters and institutes. When I'm there, I always look closely at small elements like the carved balconies, window frames, mosaics, and patterns on the facades – I try to capture them in every illustration. TCA: Are there specific stories or personal memories behind some of your postcard designs? As a local, I have a personal connection to almost every location I illustrate. Capturing a place authentically requires more than just visual reference - it also needs an emotional connection. That’s why I barely draw locations I’ve never visited. Behind almost every illustration is a moment tied to the place. For example, the Kasteyev Museum holds a special place in my heart. My grandma used to take me there often when I was little, and it’s where I first took art lessons. So, I decided to create this illustration to capture the architecture of the museum and the memories connected to the place. TCA: Can you walk us through the creative process behind designing a postcard? Firstly, after the location is...

Central Asian Art Kazakh Art Art and Culture UAE

UAE Embracing the Silk Road Narrative: Central Asia at Art Abu Dhabi 2024

More than at any other time in recent history, the entire art world is this year tackling geopolitical identity issues. And while we usually delegate Biennales and non-commercial art events to take the pulse of our contemporary reality, this time an art fair took up this task: Art Abu Dhabi. This year the fair was bigger than ever and had a hugely relevant Central Asian and Caucasus section, curated by Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec, which was aptly called “Drifting identities.” Founder of the Warsaw Institute for Modern and Contemporary Asian Art (WIMCAA) Foundation - based on the spreading of Asian and global art – Djaltchinova-Malec was invited by the fair's artistic director, Dyala Nusseibeh, to curate a section that presented different aspects of the rich cultural tapestry of the region without shying away from the political concerns and instability which often characterize this part of the world. [caption id="attachment_26543" align="aligncenter" width="928"] From left to right, Abdelmonem Alserkal - prominent art patron based in Dubai, founder of the Alserkal Avenue, Alserkal Foundation, Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec, Almagul Menlibayeva, and Danagul Tolepbay image: Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec[/caption] Djaltchinova-Malec has been working on this concept of the Silk Road in different shows – namely Silk Road 2.0 - Artists re-loaded conference in Warsaw, Silk Road 2.0 - New Opportunities panel for art for 021 Art fair in Shanghai - adapting it to the changing geopolitical landscape of the region. "Our foundation was established in 2016, and already, eight years ago, we started to explore the topic of the Silk Road,” Djaltchinova-Malec told TCA. “We wanted to understand the desire of China and countries who joined Chinese projects for the New Silk Road, and we invited artists and art professionals from Vietnam, the United Kingdom, Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Germany, Tibet, France, and Ukraine for the foundation’s first conference.” The Belt and Road Initiative, sometimes referred to as the New Silk Road, is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 to invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations. [caption id="attachment_26545" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Tapestry by Almagul Menlibayeva; image: Elvira Eevr Djaltchinova-Malec[/caption] It’s the first time that the curator is presenting these artistic geographies in the context of the Gulf. On one hand, this is opening up Central Asian narratives to an Arab public that might be curious to learn more about art in this region. On the other hand, it is helping to open markets and create access to a different pool of new collectors. Thanks to an individual outreach which started well before the fair, the experiment proved successful. "Fortunately, many collectors from the Gulf already know artists from Central Asia, as there are a few art galleries in the UAE which represent them, as well as institutions like the Sharjah Foundation,” Djaltchinova-Malec stated. In addition, many collectors and artists from Russia who are knowledgeable about Central Asian narratives and sensitive to colonization issues, are now based in the UAE. “We tried to involve as many collectors from other circles as...

Cultural Heritage Myths Tales Kazakh Art Art and Culture life and culture History

Gods and Demons of Central Asia

In today's dynamic world, Central Asia is emerging as a trendsetter in fashion, culture, lifestyle, and worldview. The ancient Tengrian faith, deeply rooted in Central Asian mythology and superstitions, may soon resurface creatively among the region's people, though it is unlikely to be reinstated as an official religion. While some in Kazakhstan attempt to distance themselves from Abrahamic religions, Tengrism remains a vital part of the cultural heritage, featuring gods, demigods, and dark entities that shaped the beliefs of our ancestors during the pre-Islamic era. [caption id="attachment_22010" align="aligncenter" width="167"] photo: pininterest: Tengri's domain[/caption] Divine entities According to Tatar scientist and writer Gali Rahim, shamanism attributes significant roles to various spirits and deities. Among the Turkic peoples, the supreme deity is Tengri, the eternal blue sky. Rahim's lectures on “The Folklore of the Kazan Tatars,” presented at the East Pedagogical Institute in the 1920s, describe Tengri as the primary god in Turkic cosmology, with the earth and humanity emerging from the union of the sky and the earth. Umai, the goddess associated with motherhood and children, stands next in importance. Ancient Turkic inscriptions and symbolic artifacts, such as the stone carving discovered in 2012 in the Zhambyl district of Almaty, Kazakhstan, depict her as a protective figure for children. Teleut pagans represented her as a silver-haired, young woman who descended from heaven on a rainbow to guard children with a golden bow, and the Kyrgyz appealed for her help during childbirth and when children fell ill. Motifs dedicated to Umai by Shorian shamans, were positioned around cradles. Boys' cradles were pierced with an arrow, girls' with a spindle, and wooden arrows were placed within the those of both. Another prominent character common to Turkic, Mongolian, and Altaic mythology is Erlik or Yerlik Khan. Ruler of the underworld, the horned deity presides over the realm of the dead from a palace of black mud or blue-black iron on the bank of the Toibodym, a river of human tears. A single horsehair bridge is guarded by monsters known as dyutpa whilst the palace is protected by Erlik’s sentries or elchi, brandishing pike poles known as karmak. His breath, carried by a tan, a light warm breeze, was believed to paralyze anyone who inhaled it, which is why the Khakas term for paralysis, tan sapkhany, literally means “wind blow.” Kudai (Khudai), also known as Ulgen, is another central deity who, alongside his brother Erlik, created the land, its vegetation, mountains, and seas. Kudai created man from clay, and Erlik gave him his soul. Kudai created a dog but it was Erlik who clothed it in hair. Whilst Kudai created the first animals, the horse, the sheep, and the cow, Erlik created the camel, the bear, the badger, and the mole. Kudai brought down lightning from the sky and commanded thunder. In a dispute over who was the mightiest creator, Kudai won. The brothers parted ways, and after producing nine sons, from whom the tribes of Kpchak, Mayman, Todosh, Tonjaan, Komdosh, Tyus, Togus,...

Kazakh Art Art and Culture

An Exploration of Identity by Kazakh Artist Gulnur Mukazhanova

There are some abstract works that can feel like a spiritual encounter. We are all familiar with the work of Mark Rothko, a master in materializing emotions and bringing viewers to transcendence through simple hues, nuances, and color gradients. Far fewer people however, will be aware of Gulnur Mukazhanova, a Kazakh artist whose felt paintings are imbued with a tenderness that offers viewers solace and comfort, and grounded in hope, open new horizons. When I first saw the artist’s work at the Parisian art fair ‘Asia Now’ two years ago, I was immediately struck by her unique use of wool and felt in the creation of abstract art. Delicate and evocative at once, her work successfully elevates craft to the status of fine art. [caption id="attachment_21715" align="alignnone" width="732"] Photo: Estefania Landesmann: Gulnar at work[/caption] Born in Semipalatinsk, Kazakhstan, shortly before the end of the USSR, the artist has been working with textiles since beginning her practice, and influenced by Kazakh traditions, employs felt as a primary material. Mukazhanova studied at the Art Academy in Almaty and later, at the Kunst Hochschule in Berlin Weißensee. She has now lived and worked in Berlin for many years and it was here, that she started to process her Kazakh origins, heritage, and the state of society, with an international audience in mind. Spiritual and emotional, her abstractions are informed by issues concerning identity and the transformation of traditional values of her native culture in the age of globalization. TCA caught up with Gulnur to discuss her latest work, her creative process, and how her Kazakh origins continue to influence her art. TCA: What initially drew you to art and how did your journey begin? GM: My earliest memories involve drawing animals when I was around five years old. My cousin, also an artist, had a significant influence on me and was the first person to open my eyes to the world of art. I studied art at the university in Kazakhstan and then moved to Berlin, initially to study textile design. However, I quickly realized that design wasn’t my path and so, shifted my focus to more experimental approaches with textiles. By the end of my studies in Berlin, I was fully immersed in working with felt and it has remained a central part of my practice ever since. [caption id="attachment_21716" align="alignnone" width="2500"] Photo: Thierry Bal : Öliara & the Dark Moon[/caption] TCA: Your work often carries deep emotional and historical weight, as illustrated by your series “Öliara: The Dark Moon” and your abstract self-portraits. How do you approach abstraction in these works? GM: “Öliara: The Dark Moon” was a solo show in Mimosa House in London that dealt with dark periods in Kazakh history, particularly the tragic events of "Bloody January" 2022. The series reflects on life, death, and the fragile nature of existence; themes that are unfortunately all too relevant in our world today. The felt pieces in this series are abstract allowing them a deep emotional resonance which would not be afforded by a...

Venice Biennale Kazakh Art Art and Culture

Decolonial Futurism: A Focus on Kazakhstan’s Pavilion at the 60th Venice Biennale

Kazakh artists have traditionally been marginalized in the global art scene due to political intricacies and a complex cultural identity. With historical influences and colonization by both Russia and China, Kazakh artists are now carving out a unique artistic identity and sharing it with international audiences. The Kazakh pavilion "Jerūiyq: Journey Beyond the Horizon" at the 60th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, from April 20 to November 24, represents a major milestone in changing perceptions of Kazakh art. Staged in the Naval Historical Museum, the exhibition reinterprets the ancient legend of Jerūiyq, drawing inspiration from Kazakh myths and the visionary journey of the 15th-century philosopher Asan Kaigy. The word "kaigy" means "pain" in Kazakh, symbolizing the nation's traumatic encounters with modernity's darker aspects: the devastating famine of the 1930s, the craters left by nuclear tests in Semey, the shrinking of the Aral Sea, and the wounds inflicted on the Kazakh landscape. The exhibition traces the evolution of Kazakh utopian imagination from the 1970s to today through artists’ visions of ideal worlds, where their utopian imagination merges with the artistic movement of "decolonial futurism." On behalf of TCA, Naima Morelli interviewed curator Anvar Musrepov on the concept and significance of Kazakhstan's participation in the Venice Biennale. TCA: How did the idea for the Kazak pavilion “Jerūiyq: Journey Beyond the Horizon” evolve? A.M: In our curatorial research, we found that the theme of utopia and futuristic imagination has concerned several generations of Kazakhstan's artists since the 1970s. Using this as a starting point, we decided to establish, in chronological order, a collection of works by multiple generations of artists. Divided by decades, the collection manifested a wave of Kazakh futurism, including themes of spirituality, cosmism, nomadism, and utopian ideas. This in turn, will help formulate a term to comprehensively describe and unite all these intuitions that have concerned Kazakh artists in different historical periods. [caption id="attachment_18933" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Sergey Maslov, "Baikonur" at the Venice Biennale [/caption] TCA: The exhibition’s title alludes to the ancient legend of Jerūiyq. What is it about and how have you interpreted it? A.M: Jeruiq is an ancient legend about a utopian land that according to many myths, was sought by Asan Kaigy, advisor to the first Kazakh khans Zhanibek and Kerey. Legend describes it as a land that has fermented, a place where time has stopped, a land full of vividness, devoid of disease or longing. We found in this ancient Kazakh legend, an ideal metaphor to unite all the intuitions presented in the exhibition and manifest the chronology of post-nomadic futuristic imagination. If established, the definition of this unique phenomenon, could become a movement in Kazakh art. TCA: What can you tell us about the philosopher Asan Kaigy? A.M: Asan Kaigy is a quasi-historical character who features in Kazakhstan’s rich oral tradition where history and memory are passed down from mouth to mouth. Every region of Kazakhstan has local legends about miracles performed by Asan Kaigy. One such legend says that he found...