ALMATY – Owls and hedgehogs, cats and dogs making friends, flying fairies, smiling snails, golden landscapes and still lives were among the subjects of the work by the Art 8 studio’s young students displayed at the Central Exhibition Hall in November.
Art 8 teachers Eleonora Schick, Tatiana Kasyanenko and Olga Yaschenko regularly organise exhibitions of their students’ work to inspire the children who study there and give them an incentive to work hard.
“There are seven wonders of the world, but we believe children’s creativity is the eighth wonder. We try to uncover it; we want to immerse viewers in the world of childhood—and sometimes not only childhood, because some young artists create very mature and philosophical work,” Yaschenko said. The three teachers graduated together from the Abai Pedagogical Institute and now work to inspire their students.
The Art 8 studio’s teachers work to instil ambition in their pupils, as well as a love for creativity. During lessons, students are encouraged to travel in their imaginations, learning about new countries and cultures like those of India, Egypt and Venice, Italy. Their impressions are then reflected in watercolours, graphics and batik.
Fourteen-year-old Bayan Mirzakeyeva decided that “if the soul had a profile, it would be the profile of a deer” and painted an elk. Eight-year-old Sabina Askarbekova and nine-year-old Kirill Bogdanov in their pictures dreamed of flying into space.
“There are many talented works at the exhibition; a great variety of techniques,” said art critic Tatiana Martysheva. “All that surrounds us is reflected in these small pieces. I wish the young artists new heights in professionalism and, of course, creativity.” Though this exhibition displays children’s artwork, Art 8 studio also teaches adult students who want to learn to express themselves through the visual arts.
