ASTANA – Paintings by Yelena Te, a member of the Kazakh Artists’ Union, are being displayed in the Shezhire Gallery of Modern Art in Astana.
Te was born in Alma-Ata, attended Gogol Art School and graduated from the graphic arts department of Abay State University. Her works are displayed in national and international exhibitions and can be found in private collections in Kazakhstan, as well as other Commonwealth of Independent States countries, the United States, France, Japan, Turkey, Israel and Germany. In Astana, a Te solo exhibition was held in Shezhire in 2002.
This year’s exhibition is called “Awakening” and consists of more than 40 still life and landscape paintings that seem to hasten the arrival of the long-awaited spring, which in Astana, is only beginning to arrive.
The pictures show summer, as opposed to spring, with roses, irises, gladioli, lilacs, lilies, peonies, daisies, dandelions, chrysanthemums and asters. This floral feast of colours delights with soft, subtle shades and perfect shapes.
“There are such flowers. A lot of my inspiration comes from nature. Last year, my neighbour had really gorgeous irises in her garden! These are them and here are allegorical pictures of Silk Road pitchers. In them, through the arrangement of objects, I tell of people’s relationships,” the painter said.
The artist adds a touch of romance to her creations, which fills them with a deep sense of peace, harmony and joy for life.
Te’s still life pictures resemble the lavishly set tables found in great Dutch artists’ paintings, the centerpieces of which are ripe fruits and flowers, gorgeous tableware, tablecloths and napkins. Every element is carefully drawn: each petal, each watermelon seed, each pomegranate grain accurately conveys the shades, sizes and texture of the depicted objects. The grapes look like they were recently picked and the tablecloth fabrics look silky and cool to the touch. “Still life with a cornucopia” is the most conspicuous canvas, with its natural and luscious flora and man-made luxury goods placed together on one table.
Te’s paintings have transformed the foyer of the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Astana where the exhibition is taking place. They reflect things about the world that are beautiful at any time of the year.
