In this conversation with FORA Gallery, contemporary Kazakh artist Saule Suleimenova reflects on the ideas that have shaped her practice over more than two decades.
From her pioneering ‘Cellophane painting’ to the use of archival photographs, she discusses art as a document of its time, the relationship between memory and material, contemporary Kazakh identity, ecological concerns, and the role of the viewer in completing an artwork.
Throughout the interview, Suleimenova also considers the Kazakh concept of the Aqyn (Ақын), the importance of preserving history through artistic practice, and why she believes that while time passes, the work remains.
Filmed by Suinbike Suleimenova.