Aigana Gali's name is much more popular in Western countries than in her native Kazakhstan

Aigana Gali has been living in London for a long time, but even a cursory glance at her paintings is enough to notice subtle oriental notes. The names of the collections Tengri and Steppe give out nostalgia for home. Her outlandish canvases are in great demand abroad: for example, paintings decorate the walls of iconic hotels  Woodward, Geneva, Royal Mansour, Casablanca, St. Regis Hotels&Resorts, Marriott Hotels and The Ritz-Carlton in the UK. Aigana shared about the influence of creativity, her own clothing line and love for Almaty in our conversation.

 

Aigana, tell us about your childhood. Where are you from, what did you do besides school?

- My hometown is Almaty, and I have always been very connected with it. Despite the fact that I have lived most of my life outside Kazakhstan, this connection is only getting deeper. My childhood memories are connected with the stories of my land and art. I studied ballet, music and painting, and at some point it all developed into a huge passion for the theater. I worked as a production designer in the theater, played several roles in films. This does not mean that I was in search of myself - I always knew that first of all I was an artist.
 

Where did you get your love for art from?

- My grandfather drew beautifully, my mother is also an exceptionally creative person, who greatly influenced my sense of life. Her ability to see beauty in everything and direct my attention to the beautiful in nature is still the key to my inexhaustible inspiration. Drawing, and later painting, is my natural state, the main experience of living life. I am very acutely aware of light, color, sounds and smells. I was born with synesthesia, my sense of the world has always been very convex and formed into beautiful visions that asked to come out in the form of paintings. Canvas and paints are the main materials for me, despite the fact that I work in almost all available directions. I never cease to admire the simplicity and complexity of the possibility of creating multi-level worlds in one plane of the canvas.
 

Who are your favorite artists?

- I admire every artist. I think every creator has an important function in society - a guide, even a shaman. Therefore, I treat my work with great responsibility to the public. Everyone can find his own door through the object of art, which will lead him to spiritual growth and unity. Mark Rothko, Marc Chagall, Georgia O'Keeffe, Frida Kahlo have such works for me, and Anish Kapoor is one of my contemporaries. 
 

What was your first success in the field of art? The first exhibition?

- My first exhibition happened when I was only twenty years old, in the wonderful gallery of Nurlan Smagulov Alma-Ata Art Center. It was an incredible, very sincere experience! I didn't have an agent or a gallery - nevertheless, all 40 paintings from that exhibition were sold. I think it was this experience that gave me the courage to build my career on my own and made me very strong. 
 

What prompted you to move to another country?

- I wanted to graduate from a creative master's degree, I decided to take a chance and do it in the capital of the world of contemporary art, in London. I have always been greedy for knowledge and dreamed of being where the energy of creativity is in full swing. To be honest, I was cramped in Kazakhstan at that time.

 How difficult is it for a person of a creative profession to get a job in London? What are the advantages for artists in England? Maybe there are some approaches that are not available in Kazakhstan (or vice versa)?
 

- There is a huge competition in London in everything, including the art world. I think it's impossible to work half-heartedly here: all or nothing. My life is completely devoted to work, this is a priority. But even under this condition, London is the best place for progress. He is so rich in opportunities and knowledge, I think only New York can compare with him in terms of the breadth of his worldview. Now, of course, a lot is changing and new players are coming on the scene. But still innovation in art and a very educated, well-watched audience are the best conditions for professional growth. 

On the other hand, success in the art world can disrupt an artist's creative process. The more recognizable your art is, the more it acquires the properties of a commodity. You need to have wisdom and be physically and mentally strong so as not to harm your creative path by succeeding in your career.
 

What kind of responses does your work receive in England?

- I was very lucky more than once. First of all, I am grateful for the strong support of my family, even my children understand the complexity and importance of my practice. Secondly, people from the profession whom I met and with whom I work to this day. These are the best professionals from whom I learn a lot and who help me in the exhibition process. And, of course, the response of the international audience is a huge incentive. My works are in private and museum collections all over the world, and it's great that the message I carry through my work has such a wide response. 
 

Do you happen to write to order? Did you have to refuse any tempting offers?

- In the past, orders were not an easy task for me. With experience, came the ability to completely push aside your ego and let through information that is directly important to the customer or a certain place. Unfortunately, more and more often I have to say no, mainly because of lack of time, in this case the customer simply remains on the waiting list, and I do the work later. 
 

Tell us about your clothing line.

- About six years ago, while working at the Marjanishvili Theater in Tbilisi and creating costumes for the performance there, I was lucky enough to visit the theater archives. I was struck by the highest level of creativity of Petre Otskheli and many other theater artists of the Soviet period, who created masterpieces in conditions of a complete shortage of everything! Literally from the remnants of the fabric, independently painting and painting it by hand! I had a dream: to create an artist's brand, to make canvases that can be worn. Turn your clients into carriers of art, take it outside the walls of galleries and private collections. This is how the Manifestations Art Couture brand was born. At the moment, it has grown out of a clothing brand and a line of Art Home and Art Jewelry has appeared.  
 

Has the move affected your creativity? 

- My attitude to work has changed, but in my work I am still a singer of my culture and the stories of my native land. Being far away, homesick, I feel my connection even more keenly. 
 

Do you consider yourself a Kazakh artist or not anymore?

- I would not like to be defined and limited. I represent my country, I bear full responsibility for its image, which the world audience sees through me. But I would like to be seen as an artist of the world with my unique Central Asian voice.
 

Do you visit Kazakhstan? Are your works successful here?

- I have done several very successful projects in Kazakhstan, one of them is the St. Regis in Astana, for which seven large-scale panels were created under the general name Baikonur. I will be happy if there are more such projects. I dream of making several public sculpture installations for Kazakhstan: I hope this will happen in the near future.
 

In your opinion, does art speak the same language? Or sometimes explanations are needed - for example, do the British read all the meanings of Tengri without knowing what it is?

- Art is beyond words, at the tips of nerves, between sounds and colors, feelings and associations. People often need an invitation, a key to enter, but when they are connected to work, they need to distance themselves and let the viewer experience their unique experience. I never cease to wonder how advanced and timely our ancient worldview of Tengri is, how the symbols, which for me are exclusively Tengri, are archetypal for various religious teachings of antiquity from different parts of the world. So translation is not required, through art the meanings reach people of different cultures, bypassing language restrictions. As an example, I will have a solo exhibition in March–April next year at SETAREH Gallery Düsseldorf.

 

Alyona Timofeyeva