A solo exhibition titled “Rhythm of the City” by renowned Kazakh painter and graphic artist Zhenis Kakenuly has opened at the Presidential Center of the Department of Presidential Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana. The exhibition offers a visual reflection on the modern city, revealing its inner tempo, character, and emotional depth through contemporary art, DKNews.kz reports.
The city as a living organism
The exhibition features 50 works created in various media, including painting, graphics, and computer art. At the center of the artist’s attention is Astana, depicted not only realistically but also enriched with elements of traditional Kazakh applied art, color symbolism, and decorative motifs.
Kakenuly’s works portray the changing seasons and some of the most recognizable architectural landmarks on the capital’s left bank, such as Emerald Quarter, Northern Lights, Kazakhstan Railways, the Triumph of Astana residential complex, Transport Tower, the domes of the Wedding Palace, as well as a number of administrative buildings. Together, these images form a cohesive artistic narrative about a city that is constantly evolving.
More than architecture
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Botagoz Kaipova, Deputy Director of the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, emphasized the deeper meaning of the exhibition.
“This exhibition is not just an artistic story about a modern city. It is an attempt to hear its breath, feel its movement, and capture the inner rhythm of the space in which people live. In the artist’s works, the city appears not as a collection of buildings and streets, but as a living organism filled with meaning, emotion, and time. The exhibition invites viewers to look closely and reflect: every city has its own character, its own pace, and its own memory,” she noted.
According to Zhenis Kakenuly, his creative work is driven by a search for harmony and the interaction between poetic imagery and subtle emotional states, expressed through the expressive power of color.
“Each painting in this series is individual, yet together they form a unified spiritual and meaningful environment,” the artist said.
An artist with international recognition
Zhenis Kakenuly was born on May 9, 1965, in the village of Karabulak in the Almaty Region. He graduated from the Faculty of Graphic Arts at the Kazakh Pedagogical Institute in 1989.
Throughout his career, he has worked as an artist and art editor for the magazines Akzhelken, Zerde, Madeniet, and Tura Bi, collaborated with the Foliant publishing house, and contributed as an art critic, book illustrator, and designer of emblems. More than forty books designed by Kakenuly have been published by Foliant, Elorda, and Audarma.
His urban landscapes have previously been exhibited at the Nevzorov Museum in Semey and in New York, where they received positive reviews from audiences. Today, his works are held in private collections in Kazakhstan, Russia, Moldova, Turkey, and the United States.
Exhibition details
The “Rhythm of the City” exhibition will run until February 23, 2026.
Venue: Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan Address: 1a A. Bokeikhan Street, Astana.
