Recently, an exhibition of dolls organized by the Guild of Puppeteers of Kyrgyzstan opened at the House of Artists. This time, the event featured works from creators of the Kyrgyz State Puppet Theater named after Musa Jangaziev, including masters such as Mariam Ablakova and Jumgalbek Beishembayev.
The Creativity of Puppeteers
The exhibition includes both dolls from well-known performances and original artistic works. Visitors can see a variety of styles, materials, and techniques used by modern puppeteers in their practice.Among the displayed dolls are characters from the performance "Alice in Wonderland," as well as a mouse and other heroes presented by the theater's chief artist Mariam Ablakova.
“When it comes to the Puppet Theater, many immediately think of marionettes. However, we didn't have them before in our theater. We decided to change that and created several such dolls,” she shares.
Also at the exhibition, you can see characters from "The Little Prince," including the prince himself and the fox. The fox, by the way, moves so skillfully that viewers might think he literally comes to life on stage.
The artist notes that the Puppet Theater is interesting not only for children.
“It should be understood that there are performances for the very young, as well as for a more mature audience capable of reflecting on the story. Therefore, there is something for every age in the theater,” she adds.
The exhibition also features mini-decorations, such as the interiors of rich and poor yurts, inside which miniature dolls create the atmosphere of the performances.
Visitors can familiarize themselves with various types of theatrical dolls, including flat puppets operated at floor level and giant ones, which require several people to operate.
Creating such dolls is a complex and multi-layered process. First, the artist develops a sketch, and then individual elements are handed over to craftsmen for further work.
“For example, the head of the doll goes to a master who thinks through its movements — how to open the mouth, how to move the eyes,” explains Mariam Ablakova.
Most dolls are made from papier-mâché. First, a model is formed from plasticine, then a plaster mold is made from it, onto which papier-mâché is applied, forming the base of the future doll.
Mythical Creatures by Jumgalbek Beishembayev
The works of Jumgalbek Beishembayev are presented in the form of small sculptures. The exhibition features four of his works, created in an authorial style and stylized.The artist says that the images arise during the creation process.
“These characters are mythical — neither a mermaid nor a centaur can meet in real life. I am fascinated by mythology and legends, and there are no boundaries here,” he says.
He also notes that he has moved away from the traditional image of dolls with hair and developed his unique style. For example, the braids of the characters are made from the same material as the figures themselves.
Kokoshnik and Paper Dolls by Inna Konyukhova
Artist Inna Konyukhova presented a unique work at the exhibition — a kokoshnik that embodies a poem by Alexander Pushkin. The headdress is adorned with elements from well-known fairy tales: a learned cat, a mermaid, and a hut on chicken legs, all details made by her personally.The work is unique in that it is made from recycled materials — remnants from previous works and production waste.
In one corner of the hall, there is a paper composition where you can dress a young man and woman in outfits from peoples celebrating the spring equinox — Nowruz.
On the same day, puppeteers celebrate their professional holiday — International Puppeteer Day, and especially for this day, Inna prepared her paper composition.
“Dolls can be made from various materials and in different techniques. My work is a memory of childhood when we played with paper dolls and changed their outfits. I wanted to show that you can create a doll from ordinary paper,” she shares.
Steampunk in Puppet Art
The exhibition was also visited by the famous artist Leonid Gubsky, who noted the diversity of the presented works and techniques.“It is interesting that the exhibition is multifaceted. Various styles of doll-making are represented. For example, look at this little machine — it perfectly combines metal and wood,” noted Leonid Gubsky.
In his opinion, such exhibitions always attract interest as they reveal unusual creative solutions and introduce the world of authorial artistic dolls, each of which has its own character and story.
He also highlighted the steampunk direction in the works of Nikolai Zhestovsky.
Nikolai Zhestovsky himself admits that he sometimes spends an entire day in the workshop working on new compositions.
For his works, he uses various items: old lamps from Soviet televisions, parts from computers, metal elements, and even driftwood. However, some details he has to order from online stores or search for at flea markets.
At the same time, Nikolai most often works with wood and metal.
“Wood is a warm material that is always pleasant to work with,” he says.
According to the artist, steampunk enthusiasts are most often men, as the images in his works have a steel character.
The doll exhibition will run until March 15.
