ASTANA – Artists Altynai Osmo from the Kyrgyz Republic and Aya Shalkar from Kazakhstan have been presenting a joint exhibition titled “Beneath the Earth and Above the Clouds” at Sapar Contemporary in New York. The show, which explores themes of identity, femininity and gender roles through mythology, tradition and spiritual symbolism, will run through May 15.
“Mergen” by Aya Shalkar. Photo credit: Baurzhan Bismildin
The exhibition brings together two- and three-dimensional works that reinterpret the roles of women in nomadic societies and spiritual cosmology. It positions female figures as both historical and mythical heroines who shape the cultural and moral fabric of the region.
“Their works, across diverse media and artistic techniques, honor tradition and legacy while capturing the multifaceted and complex roles women play in Central Asian societies—from their positions within tribes to their divine manifestations. Osmo and Shalkar place the female experience at the intersection of history, mythology, tradition, and spirituality,” reads the description of the exhibition on the official website.
Shalkar’s works include “The World of Peri,” an imagined matriarchal civilization, and “Mergen”, an immersive installation centered on the burial site of a female centaur warrior. The site includes symbolic objects such as a silver spine, an engraved archer’s ring and celestial iron arrowheads, drawing from Kazakh cultural codes and personal memory.
“Arqa” by Shalkar. Photo credit: saparcontemporary.com
Osmo presents “Kyrk Kyz”, a series that includes four hand-made masks crafted from felt, cupro-nickel, and zircon and embroidered using traditional shyryk patterns. It is based on the legend of 40 warrior maidens who defended their homeland near Samarkand. She also features “Umai Ene”, a sculptural tribute to Umai, the ancient Turkic goddess of fertility and motherhood, highlighting the feminine force within Tengrism.
“Mother Umai” by Altynai Osmo. Photo credit: saparcontemporary.com
The artists, both influenced by their Central Asian roots, blend ancestral narratives with contemporary feminist perspectives. According to Rachel Parikh, curator of the Dallas Museum of Art, the exhibition offers an “anthropological perspective on Central Asian female identity across earthly, divine, and spiritual realms.”
