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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.

Arabic carpet, 20 th c.

Collection of the A. Kasteev State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Arabic carpet, 20 th c.

‘Araby kilem’ were woven across a vast area of Kazakhstan. The name itself indicates their origin and testifies to the borrowing of the tradition from Arab settlers in Central Asia.Researchers associate this type of carpet with the Arab wedding carpets known as jihaz (from the Arabic jihaz, meaning ‘dowry’), which formed part of the dowry and symbolised the future family’s prosperity. It is likely that the migrants brought to the region not only weaving techniques but also the symbolism of the ornamentation, associated with notions of family happiness, prosperity and the protection of the family hearth. N. Bazhenova writes of this type of carpet: the ‘araby kilem’ is characterised by a well-established ornamental composition in the central field – a vertical alternation of bands of varying widths. Two principal motifs stand out in the carpet’s structure: the alabas (‘variegated peak’) and the ormekshi (‘spider’). The first motif consists of a vertical shaft, the base and top of which mirror each other. The ornament is formed from multi-layered, stepped triangular shapes of varying colours. Experts interpret it as the World Tree – Omir Agash, whilst the örmekshi pattern is seen as the most ancient archetype of the demiurge – the weaver who weaves the Universe. It is not customary to lay items featuring the örmekshi motif on the floor (Bazhenova).