The Library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan (1a A. Bokeikhan Str., 2nd floor) hosted the opening of “Petroglyphs” solo exhibition by a member of Kazakhstan Union of Artists Zhenis Kakenuly. The exhibition continues the work of “Cultural code of independence” project, aimed at popularizing the achievements of domestic authors, Delovoy Kazakhstan reports.
“The theme of today’s exhibition ‘Petroglyphs’ one of the main in the work of Zhenis Kakenuly. Inspired by the plots of the rock paintings of the Bronze Age, which is one of the chapters of the centuries-old history of the Kazakh people, the author filled them with new meaning, paying tribute to the work of the ancient masters. In the artist’s paintings, there is a clear connection between the past and the future through the prism of the present. And the seemingly simple plot and uncomplicated composition of the paintings, when viewed more carefully, captivate us with the depth of the idea laid down by the author” Director of the Library of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Temirbolat noted in his welcoming speech
The exhibition presents 45 works of the artist. The author, inspired by ancient petroglyphs, revived the rock carvings, filling them with bright colors.
“Petroglyphs” exhibition is a tribute to the ancestors who created their works on stone and depicted people, animals, the whole surrounding world of the ancient inhabitants of Kazakhstan. The works are dominated by contrasts of plot and color: between cold and warm colors, white and black, line and spot; herbivores and carnivores, love and evil. The composition of the paintings is built by depicting mysterious forms filled with legends, mystical forces. The artist, depicting images of various animals, hunters, batyrs on canvases, fills the rich world of rock carvings with a new meaning.
Zhenis Kakenuly was born in the village of Karabulak, Almaty region. In 1989, he graduated from the Art and Graphic Faculty of the Kazakh Pedagogical Institute. He has extensive creative experience as an art critic, illustrator, art editor of “Akzhelken”, “Zerde”, “Madeniet”, “Tura Bi” magazines. In 2006, Oner Publishing house released an album dedicated to his work.
Zh. Kakenuly is the author of the emblem of the Year of Cultural Support (2000), winner of the presidential scholarship in 2009 and 2010. The author’s urban landscapes presented at the vernissage in New York received high marks. Zhenis Kakenuly’s paintings are in private collections not only in Kazakhstan, but also in Russia, Moldova, Turkey and the USA.
