Kazakhstan marks 120th anniversary of outstanding artist Abylkhan Kasteyev
On January 14, 2024, Kazakhstan marks 120th anniversary of Abylkhan Kasteyev, one of the founders of Kazakh fine art, People's Artist of the Kazakh SSR, laureate of the Shokan Ualikhanov State Prize, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Born in 1904, Abylkhan Kasteyev was a native of Almaty region. He studied in Nikolai Khludov's art studio in Almaty from 1929 to 1931, and in Ilya Brodsky's studio in Moscow from 1934 to 1937.
In 1945-1956 he was the Chairman of the Kazakh SSR Union of Artists. He exhibited his works for the first time in 1931, which included “Sewing”, “To school”, “Self-portrait”, “Girl in a blue dress”, “Portrait of a sister” and portraits “Gani Muratbayev”, “Abai Kunanbayev”, “Zhambyl” Zhabayev", "Amangeldy Imanov", "Shokan Ualikhanov" and others. The artist depicted the life of the Kazakh people, and found new compositional techniques within the national worldview. The works “Interior decoration of the yurt”, “Kyz Zhibek”, “Seeing off the daughter”, “Meeting a daughter-in-law” and others are a national treasure.
The artist depicts also social inequality in the works “The Poor Man and the Rich Man at the Well” and “Stealing the bride.”
Abylkhan Kasteyev was awarded the Order of the October Revolution, two Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, and the Order of the Badge of Honor.
He died on November 2, 1973, in Alma-Ata and was buried at Kensai Cemetery.
Shymkent Art School and the State Museumof Art of Kazakhstan were named in his honor.
The artist created over 1,100 works.
On January 17, the Kasteyev State Museum of Art will host a jubilee exhibition “Abylkhan Kasteyev. Heritage of the Century”.
