Today, I want to introduce the artist Irik Musin (Kazakhstan). I had planned to feature someone else, but since it’s Irik’s birthday today—and his paintings are impossible to overlook—I decided to share his work instead. They have a slightly caricature-like style, but that’s exactly what makes them so fitting. Of course, what may seem like caricature to us city dwellers could just be ordinary life in a village.
His recurring themes are old age, Kazakhstan, rural life—often depicted with a sense of melancholy—and children, who usually radiate positivity. Each painting is full of movement, as if telling a story. It’s also clear that the artist didn’t stage his models for a photorealistic transfer to canvas, and I really respect that. Personally, I admire this ability to create and paint from imagination, because reaching that level feels as distant to me as the Moon, and I envy those who can do it so effortlessly, in the best way possible. His work is truly beautiful—take a look.
The first painting in the series is called “Anniversary. As the title suggests, it’s likely about the anniversary of a death—probably a mother’s. The husband’s grief-stricken face is contorted with unbearable sorrow, and the boy appears deeply saddened, his gaze fixed directly on the viewer.
A remarkable artist, though a little on the melancholic side.
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Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 