Prominent Kazakh artist Bakhyt Bubikanova has died aged 38
Multimedia artist Bakhyt Bubikanova has died aged 38 following a battle with cancer.
The artist, who worked with mediums including photography, painting, installation and sculpture, was a leading artist in Kazakhstan’s new wave of young artists.
The Aspan Gallery, which represented the artist, took to Instagram to announce her death, writing, “It is with great sadness that we have to announce that young Kazakhstani artist Bakhyt Bubikanova has died.”
They added, “Her practice was incredibly diverse and included painting, sculpture, video, digital collage, installations and performance. Her work was characterised by great energy and humour. We were honoured to work with Bakhyt for many years. We are deeply saddened by her passing, and our thoughts go to her family.”
Esentai Gallery also paid tribute to Bubikanova, stating that it was a “great honor for us to represent the incredibly talented, avant-garde artist,” describing her work as possessing “deep meaning, along with humor, irony and artistic gesture for everything that is happening.”
Bubikanova studied under avant-garde leader Moldakul Narymbetov, and her work is currently featured in South Korea’s Gwangju Biennale. In the exhibition, the artist presented work that mirrored the traditional miniatures once popularly found in Central Asia.
In 2021, she was granted her own exhibition at the Aspen Gallery called ‘Centuries Bow to the Talent… Or How not to Become Hitler’. She was also featured in the 2014 International Biennale for Young Art in Moscow.
