"before i leave"

Aspan Gallery is happy to present a new exhibition - "before i leave", the first solo exhibition of the young artist Lyazzat Khanim.

"Kazakhstani artist Lyazzat Khanim does not aim to exactly copy photographs in her work. In her paintings, we can distinguish brushstrokes and flaws of mimesis, as well as notice a certain balance between the photographic and the picturesque. "I like the idea of recycling an image and the sense of ambiguity between photography and painting," says the artist.

Lyazzat Khanim's work process is arranged as follows: she takes photos, selects a shot, transfers it with oil to canvas, and then photographs the painting and posts it on Instagram.

Her eyes are drawn to glossy, smooth objects and their often surreal combinations, simple shapes, and a certain emptiness frozen within them. From photography, Khanim's style has inherited the detachment and impartiality of the image. At the same time, the aesthetics of randomly cropped shots and an unusual square composition refer to Instagram publications. Thus, the image, covered with a layer of understatement, captures and dissolves our attention through its transfer to the canvas, thanks to the painting itself.

Khanim hardly has any portraits in her portfolio. The rare exceptions are images of people shown from the back and her self-portraits in reflections: in a mirror, car handle, elevator, spatula, or window pane. In some of these selfies, we can see the phone on which the pictures were taken, which, as if from canvases, continues to search for frames for the next paintings."

Dana Iskakova

Exhibition dates: 28 March – 14 May 2023

Events:

Tuesday 28 March | 6 pm – 8 pm - Opening reception

Saturday 1 April | 4 pm – Artist-led exhibition tour

Registration link for the exhibition tour

Opening hours:

Tue-Sat: 11 am - 7 pm

Sun: 12 pm - 6 pm

Address: Villa Boutiques & Restaurants, 140A/3 Al Farabi, lower ground floor, Almaty. Free entrance.