The contemporary art of Kubachi

Abstract

The article is devoted to the contemporary jewellery art of Kubachi. The aim of the study is to analyse the formation of the artistic method of 21st-century masters and to present the evolution of the goldsmithing craft. The article assesses the state of the Kubachi jewellery industry at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, describing its current challenges and development prospects. Works by Leyla Izabakarova, Daud Kurtayev, Alibeg Kurtayev, and the brothers Timur and Rabadan Akayev have been selected for art historical analysis. The examination of these decorative and applied art pieces suggests that the objects under study demonstrate how the art of Kubachi remains canonical in nature while continuing to develop in the 21st century. The work of these masters demonstrates a respectful attitude towards the artistic heritage of their ancestors. They utilise traditional techniques and technologies to create silverware, transforming new ornamental and compositional solutions into forms familiar to Kubachi art. The analysis concludes that these artists successfully combine tradition and innovation. The article includes the author’s original data, collected during field visits to Kubachi and interviews with the artists. This study is the first to introduce decorative and applied art objects created by contemporary Kubachi jewellery artists into scientific discourse.