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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.

Zhekpe-Zhek, 2011. Wool, acrylic, silk, hand-woven. Source: https://nomadmgz.kz

Doszhanov Bauyrzhan

Досжанов Бауыржан. Жекпе-жек, 2011. Шерсть, акрил, шелк, ручное ткачество

The work ‘Zhekpe-Zhek’ represents a symbolic exploration of the ancient tradition of martial arts, interpreted through the language of abstract sculpture and decorative minimalism. The artist eschews narrative specificity and realistic detail, focusing instead on the archetypal nature of the confrontation. As a result, the scene of the duel is transformed into a philosophical model of struggle as a universal condition of the world and human existence.The composition is organised around a pronounced vertical axis, which becomes the structural and semantic centre of the work. This line, reminiscent of a spear or a taut string, connects the upper and lower parts of the space, forming a tense system of equilibrium. From a semiotic perspective, the vertical line serves as a symbol of the connection between opposing principles — the heavenly and the earthly, the spiritual and the material. The upper, light-coloured figure of the horseman is perceived as a symbol of the sublime, the spiritual and the almost metaphysical, whilst the dark silhouette in the lower part of the composition is associated with the weight of the earthly world and material reality.