A contemporary Kazakhstani artist, member of the Union of Artists of the USSR (since 1988), the “MOST” Art Association (since 1995), and the Board of the Union of Artists of Kazakhstan (since 2003); academician of the Public Academy of Arts (since 2006). His works include sculpture and graphic art. Key methods include expressionism, hyperbole, allegory, symbolism, and minimalism. Key themes are physicality, myth, memory, and faith.
A. Yessenbayev studied at the Almaty College of Decorative and Applied Arts named after Oral Tansykbayev (1974–1978) and the Moscow State Academic Art Institute named after V. I. Surikov of the Russian Academy of Arts (1979–1985). He has repeatedly served on state commissions: as an expert (since 1992), for state awards (since 1998), and for the erection of monuments and memorials (since 2009). He was awarded the “For Remarkable Achievement” medal (2003), the “Platinum Tarlan” prize in the “Master” category (2005), and the “For Creativity” medal.
In A. Yessenbayev’s sculptures, the sacred is combined with the naturalistic: restrained images from the Holy Scriptures convey a state of peace (“Baby Jesus,” 2006; “Mary,” 2006), while others are filled with drama (“Batyr,” 1987). His works refer to ancient Roman statues of emperors (“Triumph of Life,” 2015), Etruscan bronze sculptures (“Big Angel,” 1991), or combine militarism with elements of African masks (“Man on Duty,” 1989).
A. Yessenbayev’s artworks have been exhibited in Kazakhstan and abroad: a solo exhibition (A. Kasteev State Museum of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty, 1994); “Nomadic Artists of the 21st Century” (A. Kasteev State Museum of Arts, Almaty, 1996); “Unrealised Projects” (“MOST” Gallery, Almaty, 1997); “Nomadic Myths: Works on Paper by Contemporary Artists of Kazakhstan” (District of Columbia Arts Center, Washington, 1997); “Most-2” (“MOST” Gallery, Almaty, 1998); “Return to Graphics” (“MOST” Gallery, Almaty, 1998); “Sari-Arka. Contemporary Art from the Kazakh Steppes” (Charles Sumner School Museum, Washington, 1998); and “Time to Search” (A. Kasteev State Museum of Arts, Almaty, 2019).
A. Yessenbayev’s works are held in the A. Kasteev State Museum of Arts, the State Tretyakov Gallery, and private collections in the United States, Italy, Germany, France, and Russia.
Information about A. Yessenbayev is stored in the Documentation project collection — the archive of the Soros Center for Contemporary Art – Almaty (SCCA).
Photograph from Askar Yessenbayev’s Facebook Page