Founder of the Regeneration Project
Karakalpakstan’s rich history reflects the diverse cultures and civilizations that make up its unique identity. Once nourished by the waters of the great Aral Sea, the region flourished. But the disappearance of those waters became the symbol of an ecological catastrophe that left its mark on the lives of local residents and their cultural heritage.
The region’s capital, Nukus, is home to the famous Savitsky Museum which houses many unique artworks, including pieces by leading lights of the Russian avant-garde and local masters. Established thanks to Savitsky’s passionate engagement in preserving local art and culture, the museum provides a platform for creative self-expression and the exploration of local identity. But it does more than just preserve the past, it inspires a new generation of artists to create plucky, modern pieces.
We are pleased to present the work of four outstanding artists, each of whom brings their own unique perspective and style to create a dynamic symbiosis. Together they explore themes such as ecology, human relationships, loss and ties with their heritage. Temur Shardemetov’s works are saturated with bright colors, reflecting the spirit of nature, while Salamat Babadjanov takes a more in-depth approach, combining tradition with modernity. Bakhtiyar Serekeev focuses on relationships between loved ones, reflecting the traditions of friendship and love for those close to us, and Nauryz Aitmuratov gives expression to inner harmony through abstraction, opening the door to a fresh perspective on the everyday. By joining forces, they create a special mood. Moving beyond the simple recognition of cultural identity, their work becomes an opportunity to tell their unique story through the prism of their culture.
Let yourself be immersed in this magnificent world and discover a new language of art.
Lola Tillyaeva
Exhibition Curator
The short, sharp word QARA in the Karakalpak language carries many meanings. It speaks of color and scale, of strength and sweep — everything that resonates in the art of Bakhtiyar Serekeev, Temur Shardemetov, Salamat Babadjanov, and Nauriz Aitmuratov. QARA is not only a descriptive term but also a marker of origin. It points to the land where the exhibition’s participants were born — a region little known even within Central Asia. Karakalpakstan is often recalled only in historical contexts. Yet the bygone era that carried away the waters of the Aral Sea can hardly be our guide today. What does the republic live on now? What troubles its people — and what do they dream of? What colors fill Nukus’s skies as the sun sets? QARA is an attempt to answer these questions. Four letters of the word are four names. Four voices, four views, four portals into deeply personal, distinct worlds. These four young artists, all native to the republic, are not verbose. Their preferred language is painting. Bakhtiyar Serekeev and Temur Shardemetov studied painting formally and professionally in Tashkent; Salamat Babadjanov and Nauriz Aitmuratov taught themselves in Nukus. Born around the same time, they all encountered art early — sometimes indirectly, as with Temur and Salamat, and sometimes in close contact: Bakhtiyar’s and Nauriz’s late fathers, Bazarbay Serekeev (1942–2017) and Barlykbay Aitmuratov (1957–2025), were honored artists of Karakalpakstan. Their homes were always filled with paints, canvases, ideas, and conversations. Their choice to stick together as a collective, supporting each other, working interdependently and presenting themselves as a group, is no accident. Although each has developed a personal painting practice, together they invest significant effort in a unified external identity. It is not certain though that this collective will last forever. As often happens with young artists, one day each may feel drawn to pursue their own path. Nevertheless, by sticking together, they could grow and strengthen in Nukus, where conditions have not always been favorable. Today, Bakhtiyar, Temur, Salamat, and Nauriz continue their artistic journey as a group. Their example vividly illustrates a well-known truth: it takes a community to raise an artist. Due to their friendship, constant interaction, and long collaborative time, the four Karakalpak painters share a noticeable common thread in their visual languages. At times they unconsciously influence each other’s formal decisions; other times they consciously borrow motifs or expressive techniques. For example, all four paint expressively, broadly, and vividly. Their art is not realistic; it leans toward abstraction. They show little interest in faithful spatial representation or anatomical accuracy, human or animal — their chromatic palettes go beyond natural shades. Each of the four has signature visual motifs unique to their work. Bakhtiyar Serekeev nearly always depicts people — often a couple, sometimes including a child — and frequently portrays one figure upside-down. As a result, his paintings can “work” in either direction: their orientation can simply be reversed by flipping the canvas. It’s likely these are self-portraits of himself and his wife, along with their sons. Notably, these motifs appear not only on canvas but also on organic materials. After his father’s death, Bakhtiyar inherited a collection of oddly shaped pumpkins. By painting them in oil and adapting his compositions to their curves, he shrinks his figures proportionally to fit the shape of the fruit. He seals the final image with varnish. On these rounded surfaces, his narratives take new life, becoming something between painting and sculpture.
Dilda Ramazan