"My illustrations for this collection focus on Uyghur culture and flora native to the region of Turkistan. Gaining inspiration from traditional Uyghur artistry and personal experiences to create a series of pieces displaying the interweaving of Uyghurs and nature" - Leena.
Born and raised in Kazakhstan, Guzelya is a descendant of an ancient ethnic group of Turkic people from Central Asia - the Uyghurs. Having both parents from the full Uyghur background, her upbringing was built around the Uyghur language, traditions, culture, and Islam as a religion. After finishing her high school in Almaty, she and her family moved to Paris, France where she has built herself as an adult: studying at the French university, representing France in WASCO world championships, and becoming a French citizen. Passionate about the Islamic digital economy, she has actively been involved in startup industry curation initiatives in ASEAN. Today, Guzelya is based in Jakarta, Indonesia, married, and has a baby boy, Eldar.
Leenagul is a traditional and digital artist currently experimenting with stylized illustrations. She was born and raised in Australia with an Uyghur/Greek heritage and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. Her interests focus on creating emotive pieces that draw inspiration from nature and her ethnicity, often using symbolism creatively to tell a story.
