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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.

‘Kanbak’ – ‘Rolling Field’. 2008. Felt, felting. Photo by S. Suraganova

Zamzegul Oralbayeva

Оралбаева Замзегуль. «Қанбақ» – «Перекати поле». 2008. Войлок, валяние

The tapestry is created using a combination of wet felting and art-protis (needle-punch technique).The work has a rounded shape and an irregular edge, stylised to resemble the natural edge of an animal hide.The visual core of the open composition, creating dynamic tension and pulsation from the centre to the edge, depicts a series of concentric circular forms. In one, a caravan marches and horses gallop, rendered in light-coloured flecks. The next depicts a shanyrak and a flock of birds above it. The natural palette of undyed wool serves as an additional decorative accent, highlighting the figurative nature of recognisable species of steppe fauna. The tapestry’s symbolism brings to life a model of the steppe universe, whose sacred centre – the shanyrak – symbolises the connection between humankind and the cosmos. The circles radiating rhythmically from it convey an understanding of the rhythms of Nature and the Cosmos, and the cyclical nature of time.