On September 25, the Kasteyev State Museum of Arts will open a solo exhibition by Batima Zaurbekova entitled Threads of Heritage, dedicated to the artist’s 80th anniversary. Zaurbekova is regarded as one of the leading figures in this field of art in Kazakhstan.
Born in 1946 in the village of Furmanovka, Zhambyl Region, the artist spent her childhood in the settlement of Merke, where her family moved when she was in the 5th grade. Batima Esmuratovna’s mother, Bibikhan, was a renowned folk craftswoman, and her work with textiles played a significant role in shaping her daughter’s future artistic path.
In 1969, Zaurbekova graduated from the Gogol Alma-Ata Art College and later, at a mature age, pursued higher education at Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University. Among the artists who influenced her artistic language were painters and sculptors of the generation that shaped the development of Kazakh art in the second half of the 20th century.
Today, Zaurbekova holds the honorary title of Honored Worker of Culture of Kazakhstan, and is a laureate of the State Chokan Valikhanov Prize. Over more than five decades of artistic activity, she has created several hundred works, some of which have already been included in textbooks on the history of Kazakh art.
What will be presented at the exhibition
The exhibition will occupy three halls of the museum and will feature more than 80 works, including tapestries, paintings, and graphic works. In addition to completed artworks, visitors will be presented with sketches, archival photographs, and video materials documenting the artist’s creative journey from her earliest works of the 1970s to her recent creations.
The exhibition will include several landmark works in Kazakh textile art, including the 1976 tapestry Expanse, the 1984 Mother Earth, and the 2004 Motherhood. Throughout her decades-long career, the image of a woman as the guardian of the family and a link between generations has remained a central theme in Zaurbekova’s artistic work.
The artist’s works have previously been exhibited in France, Türkiye, Italy, and Switzerland, and her artworks are held in museums and private collections around the world. At the same time, the organizers emphasize that this exhibition is the first to present Zaurbekova’s artistic career in such a comprehensive, unified retrospective.
What her colleagues say about the artist
Baitursyn Umorbekov, a Honored Worker of Kazakhstan, noted in an interview Zaurbekova’s dedication to her profession and her exceptional ability to work with color. According to him, it is the harmony of shades that gives her works their distinctive character and sets them apart from those of other artists.
Despite reaching her 80th anniversary, Batima Esmuratovna continues to work and create new artworks. The Threads of Heritage exhibition will remain open at the Kasteyev State Museum of Arts following its official opening ceremony on September 25.
