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.
Traditional art of Kazakhstan
Kazakh felt printing
- Black Tekemet, 2017. Zh.T. Bolegenova
- Tekemet Decorated with the Ebelek Motif, 2017. Zh.T. Bolegenova
- Tekemet, 1970. M. Seitbayeva
- Tekemet, 1960. N. Moldabayeva
- Decorative Felt Ensemble, 2017. U. Urkinbay
- Syrmak, 2010. N.S. Aspombitova
- Syrmak, 1960. K. Abdukarimova
- Tuskiz, 2017. K. Zhangutty
- Tuskiz, early 20th c.
- Ten, 1950. Zh. Yergaliyeva
- Sandyk Kap, 1950
- At Zhabu, 1950
- Rug, 1970. K. Abdukarimova
- Ayak Kap, 1960. K. Sarsenbayeva
- Prayer Rug, 1970. S. Burankulova
Kazakh felting is a unique manifestation of nomadic material culture, organically combining utility, artistic expressiveness and symbolic richness. This ancient form of decorative and applied art was developed in the context of a nomadic lifestyle, where sheep's wool became the main material for creating both practical and ritual objects. Felt products — yurt coverings, carpets, bedding and other items — served both functional and aesthetic purposes, providing comfort, warmth and visual harmony to the interior of the yurt.
The production of felted garments across Eurasia emerged as an artistic phenomenon in the 5th–7th centuries. E.G. Tsareva identifies four main traditions: the European, the Anatolian-Iranian, the Pazyryk, and the Xiongnu traditions. The scholar classifies Kazakh felt-making as belonging to the Xiongnu (Noin-Ula) tradition. However, the Kazakhs were familiar not only with appliqué, patterned stitching and embroidery on felt, but also with the technique of rolling. According to experts, Kazakh felt-making dates to the cultural heritage of the early nomads and the traditions of the medieval period. Accounts of felt products made by the nomads of the Great Steppe can be found in the works of Carpini, Rubruk and other medieval authors.
Felt was the most important building material for everyday use, from which a wide range of items was made. This primarily included the outer covering for the yurt, whilst its interior was decorated with ornamented felt carpets – ‘syrmak’, ‘tekemet’, ‘tuskiiz’ and ‘otkiiz’. Felt was used to make a variety of covers, bags and numerous other household items. The range of felt clothing included: a cloak – ‘kebene’, a headdress – ‘kalpak’, men’s and women’s belts, and so on. White felt was considered sacred, and the process of felt-making itself was accompanied by magical rituals and linked to folk beliefs regarding the sheep as a symbol of fertility and wealth.
The felting process is a complex multi-stage technology: preparation and cleaning of wool, careful laying out of fibres, systematic moistening and felting using special techniques to ensure the density and durability of the material. The artistic design of the felt surface involves the use of traditional Kazakh ornamental motifs — "koshkar muiiz", "tuye taban", "synar muiiz" and many others — each of which has a deep symbolic meaning, reflecting the mythological, cosmological and social beliefs of the people.
Felt products also performed important ritual and social functions: they were used in initiation rites, wedding ceremonies, and the transfer of property by inheritance, and served as an indicator of craftsmanship and aesthetic taste. In modern times, the traditions of Kazakh felt-making are undergoing a revival and transformation in the context of arts and crafts and contemporary design, becoming an expressive component of national identity and cultural heritage.