The technology
of traditional Kazakh embroidery can become a national brand of the
country. Artist Gulnazym Omirzak revives ancient
folk art and brings her own innovative techniques into it. For a number of
years, the artist from the country’s capital has been engaged in one of the
most interesting and original types of creating wall decorations using the ‘biz
keste’ ancient technique. In tambour embroidery, with each stitch, the craftswoman
creates seemingly abstract pictures. The central image in her works is usually
a woman. The artist uses not only thread but also oil painting techniques on
silk fabrics. The works created by the craftswoman are popular in Kazakhstan and
among foreign citizens. The artist’s works are featured in art galleries in
London and Luxembourg as well as in Germany, France, Turkey and Russia.
According to her, people are interested in Kazakh traditional crochet
embroidery and enjoy learning about the history of Kazakhstan through her
works.
“The traditional Kazakh
embroidery technology ‘biz keste’ has a positive, even calming effect
on a person. This is an art we inherited from our grandmothers. By embracing
and taking over this heritage, we both revive and modernize it, interspersing
our own new elements. And this attracts foreign craftspeople, who are keen to
learn our art. There are even those who are already doing it, even though they
haven’t fully learned it yet, but they are really interested,” said Gulnazym Omirzak.