Zhyldyz Bekova, a painter and digital artist from Kyrgyzstan, has been announced the Regional Artist of the month (February 2024) as an artist who best represents the artistic tradition of Central Asia.
In 2024, BE OPEN Art continues to run BE OPEN Regional Art, the regional competition for emerging artists, whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. The first stage of the second year of the programme will cover the countries of Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The stage will last 3 months, with a winner named and awarded 500 euro at the end of March.
Zhyldyz Bekova has become the second of the three candidates to the Artist of the Region and the 500 euros prize, alongside Guzel Zakirova (Kazakhstan). In her paintings, Zhyldyz uses themes from myths, customs and traditions of Turkic ethnic peoples of Central Asia. She loves to convey Kyrgyz national motifs as well as the country’s unique cultural heritage.