ASTANA – Five artists from Kazakhstan had their works published in The Great Steppe Treasury, a long-awaited art catalog launched by the Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG) and the British publishing house Hertfordshire Press, the ECG press service reported on April 19.
The Great Steppe Treasury 2023 cover. Photo credit: Eurasian Creative Guild (London).
The Great Steppe Treasury is a vibrant collection of visual artworks of the Eurasian region, covering the theme of the Great Steppe and its heritage. The works collected in the art catalog reveal the true treasure of the Great Steppe – people, art, ethnic costumes, and lifestyle – showing Eurasian culture’s great diversity, beauty, and depth.
The first presentation of The Great Steppe Treasury took place on April 7 in London, featuring the works of 17 artists from six countries, including five Kazakh ECG members: Said Ashirbayev, Zeinelkhan Mukhamejan, Zhazira Janabayeva, Kuttybek Zhakyp, and Darya Zalesskaya.
Artwork by Said Ashirbayev. Photo credit: Eurasian Creative Guild (London).
They all presented their works in different areas of visual art: painting, art photography, arts and crafts, and fashion design.
Ashirbayev, 16, from Shymkent, completed a National Geographic photography course and became a Turan Models agency photographer.
Mukhamejan is one of the few artists who establish a close connection with ancient customs, combining ancient folklore art with modern painting techniques in his embroideries. The artist moved to Kazakhstan in 1992 and has since lived in the picturesque city of Almaty.
Art catalog 2023. Photo credit: Eurasian Creative Guild (London).
Artist from Almaty Janabayeva has made mandala (a symbolic picture of the universe) paintings for the past ten years. She uses the techniques of color psychology, ornamental symbolism, ancient signs of the Kazakh tribes, and numerology. The artist says her works aim to integrate tapestry and batik into contemporary art discourse to preserve national traditions in Kazakh arts and crafts.
Darya Zalesskaya. Photo credit: Eurasian Creative Guild (London).
Zhakyp is a prominent artist of Kazakhstan’s applied arts, an honored cultural figure, and a laureate of many international awards. His works gave a new breath to traditional craft through the prism of modern vision.
An artist from Astana, Zalesskaya, works in different techniques ranging from digital illustration to acrylic and watercolor painting. She took part in various ECG creative competitions and projects.
Eurasian Creative Guild publications. Photo credit: Eurasian Creative Guild (London).
The art catalog explicitly designed for visual arts will be presented in ten leading galleries in London.
Several presentations of the art catalog took place in Almaty, Astana, and Shchuchinsk. The city of Shymkent will be the next destination.
Photo credit: Eurasian Creative Guild (London).
The ECG provides the opportunity for visual artists to showcase the uniqueness and beauty of Eurasian art in their works in the art catalog every year.
