Aigerim Bektayeva

Aigerim Bektayeva’s paintings are a heartfelt expression of her love for the Kazakh people and her homeland. A technical virtuoso, the artist combines traditional oil painting practices and unconventional materials, such as decorative stones and metals applied on canvas. Bektayeva’s artistic journey is deeply influenced by her grandfather, Akhmet Bektayev, who, amidst the trials of war, saved 97 lives in a Nazi concentration camp. She inherits his patience, cordiality, and love, reflecting them through her art with kindness, perseverance, and vitality.

Her latest series is titled Bee-Loved: A Journey to Self-Acceptance and Self-Love. Using bees and their queen as a metaphor, each painting portrays different stages in the journey towards selflove, capturing both challenges and triumphs. Vibrant colors and intricate details symbolize the inherent beauty and worth within each individual, drawing parallels between the lives of bees and human experiences. The artworks encourage viewers to embrace their unique qualities, fostering a profound love and appreciation for themselves and the world, mirroring the symbiotic relationship between bees, their queen, and the hive.

Bektayeva is a Doctor of Fine Arts and a member of the Academy of Arts of the Republic of Kazakhstan. She trained at Atelier Alupi in Paris, France; Accademia d’Arte Firenze, in Florence, Italy; and ART Factory in Russia. Bektayeva has won several prestigious awards including the 2020 Order of Merit for Science, Culture and Arts Award from the International Academy of Sciences, Culture and Art, in Paris, France. She is also the founder and CEO of the ZERE School of Fine Arts in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Irene van Celestine, “Irene who is heavenly connected,” is a Russian-born painter based in Melbourne, Florida. A radiologist, van Celestine began to paint only a few years ago, after the sudden passing of her mother and aunt in close succession. Fusing mythology, history and popular culture, her work is a testament to courage and resilience in the face of adversity. In van Celestine’s fantasy worlds, women hold supreme power over the phenomenal and noumenal spheres. Often portrayed unclothed in the moonlit wilderness, they confidently stroll through forests with dragon wings, fly over dark barren landscapes, or sprawl across oversized flower fields, bending oceans, fires, and wild beasts to their command.

There is also a profound esoteric element in her narratives. The women appear spirited, their eyes wide open looking straight into your soul. Engaged in sacred animistic rituals, they conjure universal forces with symbols and incantations, chaperoned by groups of feral animals. The creatures–namely wolves, bears, black swans, and dragons– at times represent our demons and at times strength. Van Celestine slashes through the fear with swords and flames but also caresses, embraces, and heals with angel feathers. From the depths of grief, she rises victorious like a phoenix from the ashes. About Come and Get Me Dragon King, showing a winged female figure looking in the mirror, she remarks, “The woman looks in the mirror with despair and still sees the reflection of her beautiful purple wings, which were cut off in real life. She is crying in pain and frustration, but her wings will grow again when the time is right.