Original Kazakh art form - tanning pattern on the skin - finds a new life in the hands of contemporary artists. Personal exhibition of the artist Guldana Zhurkabaeva, who is working in this direction, was opened in Astana. The artist presented over 40 unique paintings. The exhibition mostly displays abstract works in bright saturated colors. For the paintings the artist uses organic materials: natural stones, feathers, bones and skins of animals. This is not the first exhibition of Guldana Zhurkabaeva because she has more than 150 creative works. She is also a member of the Artists’ Union of Astana and the winner of Shabyt award. Last year, she represented Kazakhstan at the International Festival of Arts in San Marino. She won the first place and was highly appreciated by international experts and critics.

GULDANA ZHURKABAEVA, MASTER OF ARTS AND CRAFTS:

Presently, they are interested in my works and offer to hold a personal exhibition in Rome or San Marino, now I just negotiate in details. I plan to organize an exhibition in May.

Guldana Zhurkabaeva’s paintings are unique, because they have two sides. That is, these works are versatile and can be represented as from the front and the back side. If the one side is decorated with rich animal fur, the other part of the picture is painted with acrylic paints.

YERMEK ASYLKHANOV, MEMBER, KAZAKHSTAN UNION OF DESIGNERS:

Paintings display the vegetable world, animalistic world, cosmogonic ornaments. They are combined and represented in genius works. There are very interesting philosophical things.

According to the author, in her works, she mostly uses skins of animals, because natural materials are close to her in spirit. Also Guldana Zhurkabaeva believes that interest in the animalistic style in Kazakhstan is laid at the genetic level, since time immemorial our ancestors adorned the interior with such things.