UNITED BUDDY BEARS SHOW - Tierpark Berlin 2020

*1957 Bischkek, Kyrgyzstan
Studies: Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in St. Petersburg
Professor at the Kyrgyzstan State University for Architecture, Transport and Construction
Head of Department of Painting and Sculpture at the same University
He won numerous important prizes and was appointed as the National Painter of Kyrgyzstan in 2005
Works from Yuristanbek Shigaev can be found in museums in Moscow, Warsaw, Toronto and Seoul, to name just a few.
y.shigaev@mail.ru

To paint the bear, I drew fragments from my pictures. In the centre of the bear, you can see a horse called Ak-Kula - a snow-white steed that had saved the life of his owner Manas. Manas is a legendary warrior and the Kyrgyz national hero. He led the Kyrgyz troops into battle against invaders and is responsible for maintaining the nation's independence.
The “Manas” poem is a unique Kyrgyz cultural form, which is incomparable to any other poetry due to its volume and rich content.
Triangles symbolize our Kyrgyz Mountains and the white bear stands for the snow lying on the mountaintops.
Yuristanbek Shigaev