Zhenis Kakenuly Nurlybayev

Zhenis Kakenuly Nurlybayev (born 9 May 1965 in Karabulak, Almaty Region) is a Kazakh painter, art critic and author. His career combines painting with editorial work and illustration for magazines in Almaty and Astana. He was the author of the cultural support emblem of the Year in Kazakhstan in 2000 and received a presidential grant of the Republic of Kazakhstan in 2010.

Born in Karabulak, he wanted to become an artist from childhood, and painting was his favourite school subject. After graduating with distinction from Zhalanash high school in 1982, he studied from 1982 to 1989 in the art and graphics faculty of the Kazakh Pedagogical Institute in Almaty, now Abay Kazakh National Pedagogical University. From 1983 to 1985 he served in the Soviet army.

His editorial career began in 1989 as an illustrator for the journal Ak Zhelken. He then worked as art editor of Zerde (1990-1991), artist for Madeniet (1991-1993) and, from 1994 to 2008, artist for Tura Bi. This graphic training shows in his work, which spans painting, graphics, computer graphics and caricature.

Between 2003 and 2010 he held several solo exhibitions in Astana, at venues including the President Culture Center, the Abilkhan Kasteyev State Art Museum and the Kulanshi gallery. He also took part in group shows such as The Smell of Wormwood, held in New York in 2009, and in Berlin later that year under the German title Der Geruch von Wermut.