Interview: Zhanar Kuzhakhmetova
Luca Curci talks with Zhanar Kuzhakhmetova during BODYSPACES, the first appointment of CANVAS INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR 2024 at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice.

Zhanar Kuzhakhmetova, a photographer in the field of fine arts, explores humanity and duality in her works. Using detailed compositional techniques, she captures the juxtaposition of beauty and horror of human nature. Thanks to her unique vision, viewers are confronted with a range of human emotions. She was born in Aksai, Kazakhstan, in 1987. Lives and works in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Since 2018, she has become a photographer and an artist.

Luca Curci – When you take photos, are you usually inspired by the situation or do you find inspiration in yourself?
Zhanar Kuzhakhmetova – Usually I shoot what I want to try, for example, I can be inspired by some story or idea, and sometimes I am inspired by photographs or paintings by other artists and photographers. Therefore, I can say that I usually find inspiration in myself.

LC – How important is the editing process in your work? How’s yours?
ZK – The editing process is very important to me, as colors, shades and other image parameters greatly affect the perception of the image. That’s why I always take the time to edit a photo.

LC – What do you think about art on social media? Are they turning into the new showcases of contemporary art?
ZK – It seems to me that in any case, people want to see works of art in reality, but definitely social networks are very important nowadays for both artists and art connoisseurs because thanks to them you can see or find what you like without leaving your home, city or country.

LC – What issues do you intend to deal with in the future?
ZK – I am very interested in issues related to a person’s personality, I have always been a bit of a thinker and I really like to observe the behavior of people, including myself, as well as track and analyze my thoughts, emotions and actions. Therefore, the issues that I want to deal with in the future are related to the versatility and beauty of a person.

LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artwork?
ZK – I think the most difficult thing in creating my works is to find the most optimally understandable visual language that best conveys the thought and message of my art.

LC – Your last artistic production attracted us, has the artwork presented been created for the exhibition or as a part of preexisting works?
ZK – I created this work several years ago, as part of my own project, in which I wanted to combine not only classical lighting equipment but also an image projector.

LC – In which way the artwork presented in our exhibition is connected with the exhibition’s theme?
ZK – I think it is very related to the theme of the exhibition, as it conveys the depth and beauty of the human soul through the body, or rather the face.

LC- Do you think ITSLIQUID GROUP can represent an opportunity for artists?
ZK – I believe that ITSLIQUID GROUP is already providing new opportunities for artists, both through the organization of a platform for displaying works of art and through broadcasting the event on social networks, which allows even more people to get to know new artists.