The solo exhibition "Rhythm of the City" featuring the work of renowned painter, graphic artist and member of the Union of Artists of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Zhenis Kakenuly, opened at the Presidential Center of the DPA RK.
Zhenis Kakenuly was born on May 9, 1965, in the village of Karabulak in the Almaty Region. In 1989, he graduated from the graphic arts department of the Kazakh Pedagogical Institute.
He has served as an artist and art editor for the magazines Akzhelken, Zerde, Madeniet, and Tura Bi. Additionally, he has worked for the Foliant book publishing house and contributed as an art critic, book illustrator, and designer of various emblems. Over forty books designed by Zhenis Kakenuly have been published by Foliant, Elorda, and Audarma publishing houses.
Zhenis Kakenuly engages in painting, graphics, and computer art. His pieces depict the seasons and notable buildings on the left bank of the capital, including Izumrudny Kvartal (Emerald Quarter), Severnoye Siyanie (Northern Lights), Qazaqstan Temir Zholy (Kazakhstan Railways), the Triumf Astany complex, the Transport Tower, the domes of the Dvorets Brakosochetaniya (Wedding Palace), and various administrative buildings. His paintings represent Astana both realistically and through the lens of traditional Kazakh applied art. A total of 50 works by the artist are on display.
"This exhibition is not just an artistic story about a modern city. It seeks to reveal the city's vitality, to sense its movement, and to capture the inner rhythm of the space in which people live. In the artist's works, the city emerges not as a collection of buildings and streets, but as a living organism imbued with meaning, emotion, and time." "The exhibition invites viewers to observe closely and reflect: each city possesses its own character, pace, and memory," stated Botagoz Kaipova, Deputy Director of the Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in her speech.
According to Zhenis Kakenuly, his work is imbued with a desire for harmony and the interpenetration of a living poetic image and subtle shifts in mood, conveyed by the amazing sound of color.
"Each painting in the presented series is individual, yet, taken together, the works form a unified spiritual and meaningful environment," the artist explained.
The artist's urban-themed works have previously been exhibited at the Nevzorov Museum in Semey and in New York, where they received numerous positive reviews from the public. His paintings are also held in private collections in Kazakhstan, Russia, Moldova, Turkey, and the United States.
The exhibition will run until February 23, 2026, at the following address: Astana, 1a A. Bokeikhan st., (Presidential Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan).
