As the master told Turmush in an interview, his craft is a heritage from his ancestors. His entire life is inextricably linked to folk art. "This art was passed down to me from my father. Both my grandfather and father were masters. Being the only son, I helped my father from the age of 12 and thus learned the basics of the craft. My experience in the craft exceeds 55 years. I graduated from the Suimonkul Chokmorov Vocational School and am currently continuing my education at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Kyrgyz State University named after I. Arabayev," he said.
Despite his venerable age, Süyünaly Momunbaev believes that the pursuit of knowledge should never fade. "There is a hadith: 'Acquire knowledge from the cradle to the grave' [‘Бешиктен кабырга чейин билим ал’]. You feel the need for education acutely when you go abroad. 68 years is still youth; you can learn even at 80," he believes.
The master is a member of the Union of Artists of the Kyrgyz Republic, a "Distinguished Cultural Worker," as well as an "Honorary Citizen of the Naryn Region" and an "Honorary Citizen of the Ak-Talinsky District." His works received high praise at a recent exhibition in Almaty (Kazakhstan). According to the author, each piece carries a deep philosophical subtext.
One of the brightest pages of his biography, the master considers the incident with the first president of Kazakhstan. "After the collapse of the Union, during Nursultan Nazarbayev's visit to Kyrgyzstan, an exhibition was organized. Among all the saddles presented, my work was chosen to be gifted to him. At that time, this saddle was valued at the price of three horses," recalls Momunbaev.
Among the owners of his works is former president Roza Otunbayeva, to whom the master gifted a whip he made.
Süyünaly Momunbaev's sister is the famous actress Sayra Momunbaeva. Momunbaev's works are distinguished by the use of ancient metal and leather processing technologies that have hardly changed over the centuries.
