An 84-year-old Uyghur artist and designer has illustrated the works of world-renowned Kyrgyz author Chinghiz Aitmatov.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) at a workshop in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek, Sabidjan Babadjanov shared his journey as an artist and his first encounter with the celebrated author.
Babadjanov was born on Feb. 23, 1941, in Kulja, in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Recalling his childhood, he said: "I spent my early years in China. My grandfather taught me hard work in his large garden, where I also learned the Arabic script and studied until the eighth grade."
"After my grandfather’s passing, our family migrated to Kyrgyz lands in 1955 and settled in Groznoye village near Sheker, the birthplace of Chingiz Aitmatov,” he said.
After a year of studying Kyrgyz and Russian languages, Babadjanov completed his secondary education at a Kyrgyz school in 1958.
His passion for painting led him to enroll in the Tashkent Art School, but financial difficulties forced him to transfer to the Frunze Art School in Bishkek, where he graduated in 1963.
He later earned his bachelor's degree at the Senezh Creative School in Moscow in 1975 and began his career as a design artist at the Kyrgyzstan Art Fund.
Babadjanov said his devotion to Aitmatov and his works began after reading Jamilya, the novel that first brought the author international acclaim.
"The valley, mountains, and the Maymak railway station described in Jamilya have always stayed vivid in my mind. Reading about the characters Daniyar and Jamilya transporting grain to Maymak reminded me of my own days delivering grain to the same station," he said.
Profoundly moved by Jamilya, Babadjanov decided to illustrate Aitmatov's literary works. In 1988, he was approached by local authorities to design the interior of Aitmatov’s museum in Sheker village.
"Meeting Aitmatov for the first time was an unforgettable moment. I presented him with a painting I had prepared for the museum.
He carefully examined it and praised my work. His words that day were a great honor for me," Babadjanov recounted.
Babadjanov has illustrated key themes from Aitmatov’s notable works, including "The Difficult Passage," "Face to Face," "Jamilya," "The First Teacher," "Mother Earth," "The White Ship" and "The Day Lasts More Than a Hundred Years." Using pencil and watercolor, his artwork brings to life the essence of Aitmatov's stories.
