Contemporary painting in Kazakhstan

Galerie Eurasia, 2007

Not very much may be known about Kazakhstan in Belgium or other
western European countries. And not very much is known about
Kazakhstan or the other Central Asian countries in the international
arts community. The strong tradition with visual arts in Kazakhstan is
thus likely to be a surprise for the western audience.












Marat Bekeev (2003): At the Mountains (mixed technique, 65 x 82 cm).

A basic fact is that Kazakhstan is one of the most genuinely multi-
cultural places in the world, with people representing more than one
hundred different national and ethnic origins sharing the same vast
territory. The remarkable fact is that this ethnic and cultural mosaic
has continued to exist and co-exist without tension and strife, without
any of the violent nationalist legacy of much of the rest of the former
communist world.

Besides a feat of statesmanship, this peaceful multi-culturalism is as
well due to the tolerance of the native population and the most
powerful ethnic group, the Kazakhs, towards outside influence and
its ability to transform it to a constituent of the national culture.
















Askar Esdauletov (1999): Night Patrol (oil on canvas, 90 x 100 cm).

Kazakhstan was the melting pot of the Soviet Union, and melting pots
tend to be dynamic places in terms of arts and culture. The Soviet
Union brought to Kazakhstan the remarkable Russian tradition of
landscape and portrait painting, and even if the freedom of
expression was restricted during the Soviet regime, painters certainly
learned to master their technique. In the multi-cultural environment,
this synthesis resulted to a ‘southern’ style of painting that
emphasised simplicity and contemplation but was also
simultaneously bold and expressive in the use of colour.














Saule Dusembina (2001): Girl with Pears (oil on canvas, 50 x 60 cm).

As soon as the ideological constraints were removed, a new
generation of abstract painters emerged in the 1990s, absorbing
influences from contemporary western paining but nevertheless
remaining anchored to tradition. The aesthetic form is new, but
continuity in terms of skilful composition, bold use of colour and
mastery of technique is evident. Works of this new wave of painting
are also intellectually pleasing and challenging, since they, in most
cases, include an element of contemplation, self-reflection or irony.

In the Brussels exhibition, eight of these new wave painters are
presented. The majority of them enjoy wide recognition in
Kazakhstan but are nevertheless relatively unknown outside their
home country. We are proud indeed to have the opportunity to put
their works on display for an international audience.














Andrei Noda (1997): Twosome (oil on canvas, 80 x 85 cm).

From the post-transition generation, we have put on display the
works of Marat Bekeev, Aliya Dosmambetova, Saule Dusembina,
Askar Esdauletov, Kabyl Khalikov, Andrei Noda, Saule Suleimenova
and Akmaral Zhiengalieva. All these artists have gained recognition
first in the 1990s and continue to be productive in the 2000s.