Kyrgyz artist bridges cultures with a palette knife

For Baktygul Raimbekova, a Kyrgyz artist and language teacher who has lived in China for more than a decade, painting has become a language of its own.

Working with a palette knife rather than a traditional paintbrush, she has transformed her understanding of Chinese culture into vivid artworks inspired by everything from the country's classical literature and Peking Opera to the colorful traditions of its many ethnic groups. Through her art, she hopes to build a bridge between China and the world.

"Sometimes painting expresses ideas and emotions better than words," she said.

She arrived in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, in 2010, as an international student. Surrounded by an unfamiliar language and culture, she was eager to find a way to express what she was seeing and experiencing.

"Compared with languages, painting seemed to make it easier for me to express myself," Raimbekova said.

Encouraged by her husband, Li Feng, whom she married a year after arriving in China, Raimbekova experimented with different artistic techniques before discovering that the palette knife best suited her expressive style.

"Whenever I learn a Chinese story or legend, I try to express what I have learned through painting. It helps me better understand Chinese culture and the values and wisdom behind it," she said.

For Raimbekova, those lessons have extended beyond the canvas.

She said she believes the wisdom embedded in China's traditional culture remains highly relevant in today's fast-changing world. "Modern technologies are developing rapidly, but when we encounter problems in life, the best answers can often be found in traditional culture."

She noted that when she returned to Kyrgyzstan to visit her family, disagreements sometimes arose. Instead of reacting emotionally, she tried to communicate with patience and calmness — an approach she learned from Chinese culture.

"My family was surprised. They told me that Chinese wisdom really works," she said.

In 2021, Raimbekova and her husband established an art gallery near the Helan Mountains, hoping to attract artists and art lovers from around the world to Yinchuan. The gallery has become a space for artistic creation, cultural exchange and dialogue.

Alongside her artistic work, Raimbekova has devoted herself to education. She began teaching Russian at North Minzu University in 2014 and later started teaching Chinese to international students, extending cultural exchange from the studio into the classroom.

Looking back, she said she never imagined that the city where she first arrived as a student would eventually become her home. She has since built a family, developed a career and formed a deep connection with both Yinchuan and China.

"Ningxia and Yinchuan have so much to offer and explore," she said. "Yinchuan is a city that changes in a subtle way. It provides artists with a peaceful environment to create."

As ties between Kyrgyzstan and China continue to deepen, more young Kyrgyz people are choosing to visit and study in China. Raimbekova said she hopes they will look beyond the country's technological achievements.

"When they first arrive, they may be impressed by robots or the convenience of food delivery," she said. "But I hope they will also discover something even more meaningful — the cultural traditions and values that have supported China's development for thousands of years."

Raimbekova said that when she thinks of China she often invokes the Chinese word yuanfen, meaning a special bond or destiny that brings people together. It was that unexpected connection that transformed a young student from Kyrgyzstan into an artist who tells Chinese stories through her own language of color.