Turmush correspondent met with Konushbek Moldogaziev, the artist who created this famous painting.
Konushbek was born on August 2, 1959, in the village of Baltabay, located in the Jeti-Oguz district. Even during his school years, his talent for drawing attracted attention. His mother and maternal grandmother were creative individuals, and perhaps he inherited his abilities from them.
After graduating from school, he enrolled in the Kyrgyz State Art College named after S.A. Chuykov, and then continued his studies at the Ukrainian State Printing Institute in Lviv, where he successfully completed the book graphics and illustration department.
During his studies, Konushbek took on orders and worked on illustrations for the magazine "Zhas Leninchil." After graduating, he began working at a literary publishing house, creating illustrations for children's books and portraits of akyns and writers. At that time, there were only three major publishing houses in the country: "Kyrgyzstan," "Adabiyat," and "Mektep," employing about two thousand people.
Recalling that time, the artist said: "The management of the publishing house asked me if I could draw portraits, as the previous artists had failed to portray Tatybubu. They gave me a week. I remember coming to the capital during my school years to see performances featuring her. Tickets for the shows sold out instantly, and I dreamed of capturing her beauty on canvas. In the end, after completing the work, a calendar with her image was published in a print run of 150,000 copies."
Konushbek Moldogaziev is also actively engaged in graphics, painting, and applied arts. He participates in competitions at the national and regional levels, where he often wins prizes. At one of the competitions dedicated to the 200th anniversary of Kanai uulu Baitik the hero, he took third place in the applied arts category and brought the prize to the Issyk-Kul region.
“I presented four panels and six graphic works at the competition, which were highly praised. I like to add elements of national color and ornaments to my works. My mother is a craftswoman, so I create panels and paintings from felt. Thanks to my works, I was able to visit Turkey and Romania. I am a member of the Union of Artists,” he shared.
Prices for Moldogaziev's works start at $100. He sold one of his semi-abstract paintings titled "Attila" for $600 in England. He also sent a 3-meter painting "Kyrgyz Land" to Chicago.
Many of his paintings are purchased by foreign tourists who stay in guesthouses in Karakol and other areas of Issyk-Kul.
Additionally, the artist is raising four daughters and a son. In the future, he plans to organize his personal art exhibition.
