17.04.2024 The exhibition “Master and Brush”
The Central State Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as part of the traditional event “Night at the Museum”, on the eve of the professional holiday of International Museum Day, on May 17, 2024, opens the exhibition “Master and Brush”, dedicated to a whole galaxy of outstanding Kazakh artists-anniversaries - the 120th anniversary of A. Kasteyev, 110th anniversary of K. Khodzhikov, 100th anniversary of N. Nurmukhammedov, U. Azhiyev and 95th anniversary of G. Ismailova.
The purpose of the exhibition: to popularize the creative heritage of artists who stood at the origins of the formation of the Kazakhstan school of fine arts and made their invaluable contribution to the development of various areas of national art.
The name of the People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR, the founder of Kazakh fine art - Abylkhan Kasteyev occupies a special place in the development of culture and art of Kazakhstan. Throughout his life, the “self-taught artist,” as he called himself, devoted his multifaceted talent to his favorite work - painting, leaving behind a rich creative heritage. Of great interest to visitors to the exhibition will be the master’s watercolor works exhibited for the first time from the museum’s collections, the main part of which is characterized by a wide genre originality and thematic range with the presentation of important ethnographic material. Most of the work was carried out during historical and ethnographic expeditions of 1947-1949, organized under the leadership of A.M. Zhirenchina – director of the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, where A. Kasteyev participated as a photographer and artist. Many sketches made during expeditions to the regions of Kazakhstan formed the basis for the subjects of both paintings and watercolors of the artist. A. Kasteyev, born and raised in a Kazakh village at the beginning of the twentieth century, was undoubtedly an expert in Kazakh customs and traditions, i.e. “ethnophor” - a person whose image, according to the famous ethnographer, Professor V.V. Pimenov, who proposed this term, “fully corresponded to the typical criteria of identity” with his ethnic group. A. Kasteyev’s watercolors, for all their documentary nature, have a special charm, captivate the viewer, turn him into a kind of accomplice in events and have a huge emotional impact on the viewer.
The exhibition also presents works by other anniversary artists who developed various genres of fine art, such as Nagim-Bek Nurmukhammedov, who determined the development of Kazakh realism and impressionism with his work; Kulakhmet Khodzhikov, who made a significant contribution to the evolution of artistic graphics; unsurpassed master of watercolor painting - Uki Azhiev; Gulfairuz Ismailova is the author of extraordinary sketches for the sets and costumes of famous productions in Kazakhstan. Each of them is a separate world of creativity, which reflects the characteristics of their unsurpassed genius.
The exhibition “Master and Brush” will allow you to immerse yourself in the world of art and creativity of the masters of the Kazakh artistic heritage. The biographical context of their creative and social activities will be emphasized by photo-documentary materials (photos, diplomas, certificates, etc.).
