MAMA’S SHAWL
by Collective Profile
Kazakh contemporary artist Leyla Mahat brings together in a single canvas the scarves worn by her contemporaries — women representing different countries, professions, ages, faiths, and nationalities — forming a large-scale painted scarf intended to protect the world from negativity.
The exhibition presents works by contemporary women artists, featuring painting and graphic art by Evgeniya Kazakova, Nelly Bube, Lyubov Gumenyuk, Zita Sultanbayeva, Dinara Kadirova, Leyla Mahat, Natalia Karagoz, Zeynep Tusipova, Aigerim Karibayeva, Karina Krylova, Aziza Sarambetova, Roza Kopbasynova, Gulzhamal Kaliyeva, Korneliya Mango, Yulia Virko, Khalida Shimova, Botagoz Akanayeva, Gafura Kairbekova, Aisulu Usentayeva, Saule Suleimenova, Elena Maletskaya, Maryana Maletskaya, and Vera Kapinus.
The exhibition includes the installation of the project “MAMA’S SHAWL”, curated by Dr. Leyla Mahat.
About the Artist
In some exhibition projects, this label is used to designate a group of artists presented within collective and complex exhibitions. This format is applied when a project is based on the interaction of multiple artistic practices and does not single out one central author. The precise list of participants and their individual biographies is provided in the descriptions of specific projects, particularly in exhibitions involving a large number of artists. The use of a collective designation ensures structural clarity in publications and emphasizes the concept of a group artistic statement.
Curator's Note
Concept and Association: A woman instinctively protects her children using all available means. The shawl is interpreted as a symbolic shield against external threats facing a child — violence, poverty, war, illness, including viruses. It represents protection on physical, mental, and emotional levels. Installation: Kazakh contemporary artist Leyla Mahat unites into a single large-scale canvas the shawls worn by her contemporaries — women representing different countries, professions, ages, faiths, and nationalities. The result is a monumental painted shawl intended to protect the world from negativity. Mercy. Kindness. Responsibility. Humanistic values. "Mama’s Shawl" Time hummed in the air. The wind carried away the trees. The moon illuminated the steppe. The sun reflected in the sea. Clouds clung to the mountains. Burning sand spread across the desert. There was day, and there was night. It was a thousand years ago. It was last summer. It is happening right now. A child was born. The mother’s body was torn from within. Pain consumed everything around her. Suddenly, the whole world stopped and bowed before the woman. A human being was born — helpless and fragile. A child who must be protected from hardship and prepared for all that awaits in life. Tears of pain, relief, and joy merged and turned into a sip of fresh water. Tender hands embraced the small body and became armor. The shawl slipped from the woman’s unruly hair, becoming the first covering — the first protection of the newborn child. Innovation: A unique mechanism addressing psychological challenges across different social groups in the participating countries. Key Words: Hope, Protection, Roots, Maternal Protection, Confidence in the Future, Peaceful Conflict Resolution, Tribute to Ancient Traditions, National History, A Future Without Wars, Public Health, Moral Values. Important: The shawl is not considered a religious attribute. “MAMA’S SHAWL” project by Leyla Mahat Copyright © Leyla Mahat 2021 All rights reserved.
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