THE ARTIST ALSO COMPOSES SONGS
January 2024 marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of the first Kazakh painter and watercolorist Abylkhan Kasteev. For the artist’s anniversary, the library has prepared for our readers the exhibition “Beineleu Onerinin Bateregi”, which presents encyclopedias, reference books on the fine arts of Kazakhstan, monographs, albums, articles about the life and work of Abylkhan Kasteev.
The work of Abylkhan Kasteev is a unique asset of the national culture of Kazakhstan. The origin and development of Kazakh painting is associated with the name of Abylkhan Kasteev.
Before him, decorative and applied forms were common, Kasteev became the first to paint landscapes, portraits, paintings of everyday, historical, and social themes. In his youth, to old people who condemned the “sinful pursuits” of painting, Kasteev answered: “My drawings, which tell about life, are not the same as the singing of the akyn, so revered by all the people...”.
He was a genius, developed his talent and became a recognized master of the brush. His paintings are the embodiment of love for Kazakhstan. Talent, determination, internal organization, and self-demandingness allowed Abylkhan Kasteev to reach the heights of art and conquer them with his remarkable talent. The most famous paintings by Abylkhan Kasteev: “Cotton picking”, “Bride theft”, “Turksib”, “High-mountain skating rink Medeo”, “Amangeldy’s Army”, as well as portraits of prominent people of the country: Amangeldy Imanov, Kenesary Kasymov, Chokan Valikhanov, Zhambyl, Abay.
Abylkhan Kasteev constantly turned to the image of the great Abai and created about 30 works dedicated to him. One of the paintings is called “Abai at the yurt”. Another “Young Abai”, we see Abai with a book in his hands. The painting “Abai”, created in 1954, helps to reveal the phenomenon of Abai. Deep psychologism and the ability to show a person’s character in all its complexity and versatility distinguishes the artist. Strict majesty of posture, intelligence shining in the eyes. In the painting “Abai on Zhailau”, the artist seeks to reveal the poet’s inner world.
In the 1930s and 40s, the artist depicted the life of the Kazakhs and created a whole series of paintings. These are topics close to Kasteev: migration of villages, traditional games and customs, everyday affairs. At the same time, the artist reflects even small details of changes in the life of the Kazakhs - the appearance of a radio, a gramophone.
In Kasteev’s work, landscapes and natural attractions of the country occupy a significant place: “The Road to Charyn”, “The Expanses of Shchuchinsk”, “The Outskirts of Almaty”. A special place among them is occupied by the mountains - Khan Tengri, Kok-Zhailau. “At a high-mountain skating rink”, The road to the skating rink” and the watercolor “Ice skating rink in the highlands”, these paintings are full of lyricism and involuntarily surprise with the originality of their method of depicting reality. Avoiding opposite colors, the artist carefully studies the space and the possibilities of the canvas. He constantly improves his skills.
The works of A. Kasteev testify to the author’s poetic perception of the world around him and man’s respect for work. He created a number of works about the construction of the Kapshagai hydroelectric power station, worked on the paintings “Turksib”, “First Train”, “Virgin Land” and others. Kasteev is an artist by vocation, he made a significant contribution to the development of national art. His paintings closely intertwine the customs and traditions of the people, legends, beliefs, tales, sonorous local colors, united by the artist’s coloristic intuition into a harmonious whole, conveying the multicoloredness of the world and the optimism and vitality of the people’s character.
The artist created over 1,100 works, which can be seen at numerous art exhibitions. In 1977, A. Kasteev was awarded the honorary title “People’s Artist of the KazSSR” for his services to the development of fine arts. Awarded the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR named after Chokan Valikhanov (1967) for the series of watercolors “On the Land of Kazakhstan.” The State Museum of Art of the Republic of Kazakhstan, one of the largest art museums in the country, is named after Kasteev. The artist's centenary was included by UNESCO in the International Calendar of Significant Dates in 2004.
For Kazakhstan and Kazakh culture, careful and unwavering attention to the legacy of Abylkhan Kasteev is a matter of national honor and pride.
