My name is Zhaidary, or Zhaiya, and I am an artist and illustrator from Kazakhstan, currently living and working in France. I have lived in five countries: Kazakhstan, Norway, Uzbekistan, Turkey and France. Ten years in Norway made it my second home, and living among different cultures broadened my view of the world.

Paradoxically, it was living abroad that brought me even closer to my roots. Distance helped me feel Kazakh culture, the art of my ancestors and their way of seeing the world more deeply. Today this connection is at the heart of my work.

Through illustration I explore my own experience and worldview through my Kazakh identity, what I like to call my little Kazakh heart. Traditional ornaments and cultural motifs found their way into my work naturally. I like to reinterpret Kazakh heritage in a contemporary visual language and find new meanings in familiar symbols.

I love working with my hands: sewing, making things from felt, drawing with pencil and oil pastels. Materiality, structure and texture reflect who I am and shape my style. Digital illustration is becoming more and more important too, especially for textiles, clothing and traditional Kazakh products.

My work lives where cultures, personal experience and tradition meet. I want not only to preserve the visual heritage of my homeland, but to discover it anew, share it with the world and show how deeply the past can sound in contemporary art.