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Traditional and contemporary art of Kazakhstan

A Virtual Journey into the World of Kazakhstan’s Artistic Heritage

This Web Gallery presents the diversity of artistic practices in Kazakhstan, reflecting the continuity of cultural traditions and the dynamic development of contemporary creative processes. The virtual exhibition features works based on national images, symbols, and themes, as well as artworks by contemporary artists who reinterpret the country’s cultural heritage through contemporary artistic forms, expressive means, and modern technologies.

The selected works demonstrate the relationship between traditional and contemporary art, revealing the distinctive features of the national worldview, cultural identity, and cultural meanings. The presented materials allow viewers to trace how elements of historical and cultural heritage are reflected in contemporary artistic practice, while maintaining their significance and relevance in an increasingly globalized world.

The Web Gallery is aimed at promoting Kazakhstan’s artistic heritage, expanding public access to works of art, and fostering a lasting interest in national culture and art among a wide audience.

Syr Carpet, early 20th century

1st half of the 20th century. 160×335 cm. KP 879, Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Alimbay 61)

Syr Carpet, early 20th century

The pile carpet, commonly known as ‘syr kilem’ or ‘qonyrat kilem’, embodies a local variation of the wider regional artistic traditions of the Syr Darya. The craftswomen of the Qonyrat tribe, having mastered the regional tradition with great skill, were able to make the carpet a marker of identity, preserving it in the folk memory under their own name.Compositionally, the carpet is entirely covered with four- and eight-pointed rosettes and an eight-toothed pattern, whilst the entire perimeter is decorated with the ‘alaqurt’ ornament. Such a composition with a border belongs to the ‘closed’ types, interpreted as the embodiment of a protected world model, with the border serving as a kind of ‘guardian’ (Kokumbaeva 116). In turn, the mesh-like design of the entire field of the carpet with ornamental elements (mesh composition), ‘according to traditional beliefs, reflects the idea of unity and interconnectedness of the various clans of a single tribe’ (Kokumbaeva 116).