Arystanbek Shalbayev

Biography

Arystanbek Shalbayev is a well-known multimedia artist from Kazakhstan. He combines artistic career with teaching at the National Art Academy in Almaty, Kazakhstan. His art is an exquisite juxtaposition of subjects and mediums, using painting, graphics, installation, video and performance. It’s always strong both visually and conceptually. Arystanbek's art is at times an absurd reflection of both the past and of current social, cultural and economic issues and perceptions of Kazakhstan. His latest series of artworks, collectively called Boomerang, reveal perhaps the self-destructive fate of Kazakhstan’s natural-resources-driven economy. Arystanbek has participated in a number of personal and group exhibitions in Kazakhstan as well as abroad. His artworks have been acquired by collectors from Kazakhstan, the UK, France and Spain.