Today, having overcome numerous life challenges, he has returned to the world of visual arts and is beginning to receive recognition as a master.
Rakhimdulaev was born on October 18, 1968, in the village of San-Tash, located in the Tyup district.
His interest in art manifested in childhood when his uncles on his mother's side inspired him with their drawing skills. He particularly remembered military scenes—tanks and soldiers engaged in battles. These images left a vivid mark on the young Suyunbek's memory.
“Everything starts in childhood. My uncles were wonderful artists. When they came to visit, I would not leave their side and would ask them to draw something. Unfortunately, they did not study at art institutions,” he shares.
From a young age, Suyunbek could see artistic images everywhere and lived in a world of fantasies. He loved to imagine himself among the flowers on the windowsill and was fascinated by books with beautiful illustrations. During his school years, he became a member of the editorial board and received his first recognition by taking first place in a drawing competition at a children's camp.
In the 8th and 9th grades, he filled an album with drawings depicting poets and writers with their characters as an assignment from his literature teacher.
In 1985, Suyunbek enrolled in the art and graphics department of the Karakol Pedagogical Institute. From 1986 to 1989, he served in the navy, but even then he did not abandon his creativity.
“From 1986, I served in the navy for three years. In the Gadzhiyevo-Severomorsk garrison, at the invitation of the commander, I created my first large painting measuring 3 by 4 meters. I always kept a pencil in my hands. In the barracks, there were three of us artists: one from Leningrad, another from Kharkiv, and me. We painted three walls. At that time, I did not attach much importance to it, but now I am proud,” he recounts.
Rakhimdulaev also shared fascinating stories from his military service:
“When I was on duty at the checkpoint, officers would pass through with their passes. There was a very beautiful female officer serving in the garrison. One day I drew her portrait and hung it on the board at the checkpoint. She liked my work and took the drawing, then brought me sweets. Soon, officers began to order portraits of their families. Once, I found a tabletop at a dump, cleaned it, and painted mountains, the sea, and a seagull on it. The commander hung this work in his office.”
After graduating from the institute, receiving a scholarship and starting a family, the artist faced difficulties that temporarily pushed his creativity to the background. During the challenging times of the Soviet Union's collapse, he had to take on any job to support his family. Despite invitations from gallery owners in Bishkek, he could not leave for family reasons.
In some years, Rakhimdulaev completely abandoned painting and engaged in wood carving and carpentry. However, life showed that creativity is his calling, and he returned to art. Some of his works were sent to Russia and abroad—to the USA, the UK, and Germany.
Suyunbek is the father of six children: four daughters and two sons. Two of his daughters became fashion designers and work on commissions, one of the children is interested in crafts, and the twins show talent for drawing.
His creativity is inspired by nature, as every moment of it is unique.
“Nature inspires me—there are no repeating moments, there is beauty, character, and hidden feelings that cannot be expressed in words,” the artist asserts.
Suyunbek prefers to create paintings where nature and life speak for themselves.
He also shared a memorable story related to landscapes:
“Once, during a snowstorm, I decided to depict the Karakol Gorge. I tried to capture every moment of nature. The work turned out very well, but due to being in the cold for a long time, I later spent ten days in bed,” he recalls.
In the future, if health permits, the artist wants to leave behind classic and philosophically rich works. He is closer to those pieces that convey small life episodes, tranquility, peace, and mystery.
“I am interested in various techniques: oil, gouache, watercolor, acrylic, colored and simple pencils, pastel. In terms of my working style, I am closer to Impressionism and Realism, but I would like to try other directions as well,” he concluded.
