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Statuette of Umai National Award presented in Astana
ASTANA. KAZINFORM The first in Kazakhstan, Umai National Award, established by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan, is an equivalent to the Tony Award. For three months, Kazakhstan’s well-known painters competed for the right to be the author of the sketch of the Umai Award statuette. The Artistic Council of Astana Opera, which became the venue for the award, determined the best of the best – Armat Bektas, a sought-after painter in the artistic field. His work was selected from among others submitted in the competition, the press service of Astana Opera informs.
The painter is originally from Oral, a graduate of the Department of Monumental Painting of the Temirbek Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts. Currently, he is a teacher at the Department of Painting and Sculpture of the Kazakh National University of Arts, curator of the Sal-Seri art gallery. His works have been exhibited not only within the country, but also in international galleries, including Kazakhstan’s presentation at EXPO 2020 in Dubai (UAE).
«My creative work is connected with symbols and signs. I strive to make art national in form and universal in content, so it was very interesting to participate in this project,» the painter emphasizes.
The author believes that statuette is not just a souvenir. Therefore, it was necessary to combine the national form with high art in it. In the figure of Umai, one can simultaneously trace a female image, a reference to the elements of traditional applied art, the image of a yurt. The name of the prize is inscribed in Latin and Old Turkic on the foundation of green plates inlaid with stones.
«I think that I have handled the task set before me well, and that it will be a true achievement for the participants of the competition to possess this award and the statuette that embodies it. I would like to believe that the award, initiated by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, will become an incentive and an important reference point for artists and culture workers, and will make the society more active in further creative work,» Armat Bektas says. «In Kazakhstan, people often talk about the need to form a national idea, and I think that such projects are very important in this work. The Umai Award may well serve to form such a broad concept as a national idea. I am sure that this creative competition will be a great success and will continue.»
As a reminder, the Umai Award in the field of art is presented in such categories as Theatrical Art, Choreographic Art, Musical and Performing Arts, Painting and Decorative and Applied Arts. In 2022, it is awarded to creative teams, individual performers and artists of Kazakhstan for significant creative success and outstanding professional achievements. The application submission process will last until December 9, and the award ceremony for the winners will take place on December 23, 2022 at Astana Opera’s Grand Hall.
Photo: astanaopera.kz