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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.

Pileless carpet, 1954

1954. Almaty Region. Designer: N. M. Kapizova Altynkul. Collection of the A. Kasteev State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Pileless carpet, 1954

The composition of this carpet, as in the ‘Araby Kilem’, is based on a vertical alternation of bands of varying widths. The central position is occupied by a large, intricate figure with scrolls, executed by the weaver in a contrasting colour scheme — white, red and black. This combination enhances the decorative expressiveness of the ornament and emphasises its compositional dominance.Diamond-shaped motifs are placed at regular intervals along the narrow bands. In some cases, these are diamonds with a characteristic ‘hook-shaped’ projection; in others, they are diamonds filled with a mesh pattern. These elements create the rhythmic structure of the ornamental field.Of particular significance are the narrow white bands, on which a geometrised wave-like pattern is woven. It introduces dynamism and plasticity into the austere vertical composition, softening the overall graphic nature of the design.Semantically, the carpet’s ornamentation may represent a complex symbolic system, where the central motif embodies the axis of the world or the principle of life, the diamond-shaped elements represent fertility and protection, and the wave-like pattern conveys the idea of movement and renewal.