The painter
Abilkhan Kasteyev (1904-1973)
was the first Kazakh professional
painter. His parents were poor
nomads and lived in a small village
in Taldykorgan Region. Abilkhan
was very creative. He painted
more than a thousand paintings.
When he was 41, he became
Chairman of the Union of Artists of
Kazakhstan. About 11 years after
he died, the government renamed
the State Museum of Arts in his
honour. You can see some of his
paintings in the museum.
