Issue 1. Interview with the artist Tuman Zhumabaev.
We visited Tuman Zhumabaev's gallery in St. Petersburg with Ilsia Kuznetsova, the author and host of the video project "Art-Invasion." We discussed the artist's work, life, rituals, and worldview.
Tuman Zhumabaev is a renowned portraitist. His paintings have been exhibited in Poland, Hungary, Austria, Vietnam, Iran, France, and China. He was born in a high-mountain Kyrgyz village to a school art teacher. When the boy was born, fog swept the mountains for three days, and on the fourth day, the elders named him Tuman. This name later became the artist's signature.
Despite his fame as a portraitist, he also paints landscapes and still lifes. These days, he often paints flowers, although he says that portraits are more interesting and challenging, as they must convey a likeness. Previously, in the early to mid-1980s, Tuman painted landscapes, especially the Summer Garden, which was his favorite place for summer and autumn sketches.
The artist doesn't believe in inspiration: "If you don't know what to do, mix paint." He particularly admires the Russian Peredvizhniki artists and believes that Levitan's landscapes are far more profound than any Expressionist painting.
Like a true artist, Tuman goes on vacation only with a sketchbook and is always painting something—for him, this is the best relaxation. "You paint boats on the sea—and meditate," notes Tuman Zhumabayev.
The artist constantly experiments. Therefore, he remains interesting and multifaceted for viewers of all ages. His simple and clear, yet distinctive paintings leave no one indifferent.
For the artist, the best criticism comes from those who don't understand art, but simply feel the painting with their heart. Perhaps that's why he believes that "a painting is the best gift": "After all, a painting is always on display, and you constantly think of the person who gave it to you. It's a gift for life."
The renowned artist Tuman Zhumabaev will talk about this and much more in the first episode of the "Art-Invasion" video project.