Anara Abzhanova

Anara Abzhanova’s Magic Light —

by – O.Baturina

“Winter eve light”
Зимний вечер

Today it is already clear that AnarAbzhanova’s painting has become a bright and noticeable phenomenon in the modern art of Kazakhstan. Anara is quite young, and it seems not so far when she was a student, then the undergraduate of the Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, and now her name has become well known not only in our country but also abroad.

“Mountain landscapes”
Горные пейзажи

Her creative activity, performance, her talent, passion and her inspirational dedication and devotion to art has led to success! Anar Abzhanova has more than 20 exhibitions, among which the personal and the collective ones. In spite of her young ages, the artist has been repeatedly named the winner and became the owner of awards at prestigious international competitions: The Artist’s Magazine 30th, (USA), “Best Acrylic Painting” (USA), Factors of Visual Art (New York). Anar Abzhanova takes active part in international exhibitions – Fine Art (Scottsdale, Arizona), exhibition of Fine Arts New York Realism Fine Art Factors of Visual Art (New York), Art Curated Classic September Prize (Santiago), exhibition of Taiwan Arts Art Revolution Taipei, Asian exhibition Para Art Tokyo (Tokyo) and others. And this is not an exhaustive list! Anar Abzhanova is the winner of the State Scholarship of the President of Kazakhstan and the winner of the State Youth Award “Daryn”. Her works are in private collections in Kazakhstan, Italy, Switzerland, France, Turkey, the USA, Japan, Hungary and Russia.

“Crocuses”
Крокусы

What is so wondering in her art works that resonates with people from different countries and continents? First of all, sincerity and emotion of the artist! All her paintings are filled with light and air; they sparkle and shine! She tells us what she loves so ardently, so hot that one involuntarily and unconsciously succumbs to her influence, and you find yourself in this wave of joy and happiness.

“Fresh frost”
Свежий мороз

Secondly, great love for art and nature. It is a skill to see and admire the beauty of the world as the highest harmony! Each Anar Abzhanova’s landscape has its own sounds. They are different, but always with clean intonation. Sometimes it is a bravura, fast, almost marching sound, sometimes quiet and peaceful pensive melody, but the musicality of her works is visible and is manifested in each of their elements–from the total order to the smallest details.

“Winter day with pheasants”
Зимний день с фазанами

And, at last, the colours! The color of her paintings – forced, bright, contrast, trim – conveys the optimistic joyful attitude of the artist herself to the world. She is interested only in light, only the festive side of life. That does not mean that Anar’s fate has no difficult moments; there is, and even very many! Hardships, that she has had, not anybody will handle! But Anar Abzhanovahas been only able to cope with them, but keeps her optimism, her belief that all will be all right. And with that aspiration in the bright future she goes through life, warming and giving hope to all who are around her. Therefore, such a festive view of her work is not so much a technique as vital position; her picture of the world in which there is no place for sadness and despondency.

“February”
Февраль

The plots that the artist selects are simple and clear. They are usual recognizable cityscapes, fragments of nature, but the way she tells about them changes them, makes them fantastic and almost unbelievable. She keeps experimenting – with angles, compositions, color. She connects sometimes incompatible, for example, the volume and linearity. In her painting there is a lot of graphics – silhouette of elements is often emphasized by the outline of strokes in order to enhance the beauty of a tree or branch, or the building’s contour. But at the same time a feeling of space and air, paradoxically, is preserved and even enhanced. Although it would seem that the line should flatten the image. Light and color in her paintings are interrelated and a continuation of each other. Of course, more often it is the day bright sunlight, but in recent years night landscapes began to appear with their mysterious light vibrations.

“Winter Road”
Зимняя дорога

Anar Abzhanova’s landscapes cannot be called realistic, but rather fantastic dreams and visions. But they are not ghostly and ethereal, but textured, compelling, when recognizing familiar urban views in them, it is impossible to remain indifferent, not to get surprised and not to admire. Anar Abzhanova’s creativity changes space of our world, transforming it from everyday routine to romantically solemn festive and upbeat discourse.

O.Baturina
Ph.D. in History of Arts,
Professor of Visual Arts History and Theory Department
The Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts

Anara Abzhanova

LINKS —

 
Wedsite:  http://anaraartist.faso.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anara.gallery/
Kazakh TV Video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ygl4vXYzQc&feature=youtu.be