The Moment I Chose Not to Look, 2025

Zhanar Sagidolla  

Zhanar Sagidolla is a Kazakhstani contemporary artist born in 1994 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She currently lives and works in North Carolina, USA. Her artistic foundation was formed at the T. Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, where she studied painting, sculpture, and graphic arts from 2010 to 2013. She later earned a Bachelor's degree in Design from KazGASA in 2016 and completed a Master's degree in Design at the Kazakh National Academy of Arts in 2018.

From an early stage, Zhanar was actively engaged in the artistic life of Kazakhstan. In 2018, she participated in the group exhibition and later presented her first solo exhibition at the Kazakh State Philharmonic in Almaty. Her work has since been shown internationally across Kazakhstan, Europe, Asia, and the United States. Notable exhibitions include the Art On Loop digital showcases in Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam (2023), (Mangystau Region, 2022), and (Los Angeles, 2024).

Zhanar has also taken part in major international art projects, including EXPO China Eurasia in Urumqi (2023), and has served as a guest jury member for creative competitions organized by Visa and Rakhat. She is a member of the Union of Designers of Kazakhstan, the Eurasian Union of Designers, and the Eurasian Union of Artists.

Currently based in North Carolina, Zhanar is expanding her painting series focused on moths and female figures. In this body of work, personal experience merges with symbolism, exploring transformation, vulnerability, and the quiet courage of moving toward inner light.