Kazakhstani Uyghur Artist Hashim Kurban Holds Exhibition in Virginia

A painting exhibition by Kazakhstani Uyghur artist Hashim Kurban was recently held in Chantilly, Virginia, at Ocean 8 Restaurant. Organized by the American Uyghur Cultural Heritage Project (AUCHP), the event drew more than 100 members of the Uyghur community from Virginia and New York City.

Hashim Kurban is an accomplished painter and craftsman with decades of artistic experience. He graduated in 1976 from the Almaty Art College named after N. Gogol and in 1981 from the Tashkent Theater and Art Institute named after A.N. Ostrovsky, where he specialized in monumental painting.

From 1981 to 1984, he taught specialized disciplines at the Almaty Art College. Between 1984 and 1987, he served as a lecturer in painting and monumental decorative painting at the Academy of Arts named after T.K. Zhurgenev. From 1987 to 1994, he lived and worked in Zharkent, Kazakhstan, continuing to develop his artistic career.

Since 1982, Kurban has participated in republican, union-level, and international exhibitions. He has been a member of the Kazakhstan Artists’ Association since 1998. Over the years, he has received numerous honors, including the “Ilham” Award (2005) from the Club of Uyghur Maecenases and the honorary title “Honored Figure of the Republic of Kazakhstan” in 2008.

His works are held in museums across Kazakhstan and in private collections in the United States, Germany, Japan, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and other countries. In 2010, he was entered into the Kazakhstani Book of Records (KINES) for creating more than 1,000 painted gourds over 25 years of creative activity. In 2013, he won third place in the “Illustrations” category at the Open Central Asia Book Forum and Literature Festival in London. In 2015, his work “Silk Road Constellation” received second place at a republican exhibition in Almaty dedicated to the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate.

Kurban is widely recognized for his distinctive artistic style. His works portray human figures and landscapes spanning from the ancient Buddhist era to the present day, rendered in a vivid and imaginative manner. In addition to painting, he is known for his mastery of wood carving and painting on gourds, a craft that has become one of his artistic signatures.

Several of his pieces reflecting the current plight of Uyghurs drew particular attention from visitors at the Virginia exhibition. During the event, he presented his meaningful work, “Dervishes Unable to Return Home,” to Omer Kanat, Executive Director of the Uyghur Human Rights Project.

Medine Bawudun, director of the American Uyghur Cultural Heritage Project, emphasized that preserving and promoting Uyghur art and culture remains a vital responsibility, especially at a time when Uyghur identity faces significant challenges. She noted that the organization plans to continue hosting similar events to introduce Uyghur art to broader audiences.

The program was hosted by Asena Tahir Izgil, who conducted the event in fluent Uyghur, reflecting the younger generation’s commitment to carrying forward Uyghur cultural and artistic heritage.