On the eve of 8th of March, the editorial board of "Art of Her" decided to talk about the upbringing of creative children with Saida Elemanova and Saula Suleimenova. Mother and daughter share their valuable family stories and give advice on raising and accepting art in a child.

Saida Elemanova - Professor, Doctor of Art History, member of the International Council for Traditional Music (ICTM), Cultural figure, member of the Union of Composers of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Mother of Saule Suleimenova, grandmother of Suinbike Suleimenov and Medina Bazargaliyeva.

Saida, tell us how have you discovered the talent of your daughter (Saule Suleimenova)?

Saida Elemanova: She was an absolutely charming child. Her father is very talented – designer and architect Timur Suleimenov (President of the Union of Designers of Kazakhstan), who surely paid close attention to everything she did.

I remember when Saulesha was 3 years old, I went to Leningrad to get my postgraduate degree. I visited them often, however my arrivals were rather emergency. Here I came, stayed a little with the child (a week, two weeks, sometimes even a month), then went back to Leningrad. Therefore, Saulesha's father and grandmother were always with her. Her Grandmother (my husband's mother) is also a very talented woman, she loved creating “Oyu-ornek”. The child constantly trained her little hands, however there was not such attention to the drawing of hers. Her father never mentioned that he saw an artist in her.

Suddenly the day has come when Saule turned 16 and she painted her very first drawing. Of course, I'm not an artist, nor a designer, nor an architect, but when I saw it, I realised that it was brilliant. A powerful arm was already visible. It simply doesn't happen, you know? A person who wants to become an artist, seems to have to go through long journey of art school: where they learn all this, all these productions. Although, we have tried to get her into an art school, but she has resisted, she was skipping classes. It's just she suddenly woke up as an artist.

I always had a feeling: this person is talented, and this one is not much or even completely untalented. I knew it for sure. And when Saule did it, I immediately realised that this was what was needed. And for me, this is the greatest value. This creative personality is the most important thing. I didn't have to prove anything to anyone, I just knew that this is it.

In her youth, Saule Suleimenova was an activist, a member of the legendary artist group "Green Triangle". She has been to police departments, she secretly ran away and read poems to the participants of “Zheltoksan”, even shaved her hair, did not show up at home. How did you experience these moments of becoming an artist?

Saida Elemanova: You should bear in mind that I was doing my own thing: anthropology, ethnography, musicology, art history, national art theme. That was more important.

As an example, I invited musicians to our home, Saule was there. She saw how we listen to them, how we feel about it. She grew up in this atmosphere, it’s been very eventful with principled creativeness and ideological freedom without any taboos.

But of course, I was worried. One day she left, then in the middle of the night she called me and said, "Mom, I shaved my head bold." It was very painful for me, because I know, according to ethnography, this is a civil execution. But it had completely different meaning for her. Of course, I stood it, I didn't punish her for it. At that moment, I just cried because of her beautiful hair was gone.

Share some advice on how to accept and raise a creative child?

Saida Elemanova: A person’s lifestyle, the goals and ideals he adheres – the child sees it and he also goes in the same direction. I didn't do anything on purpose. I have always respected very much that she was given this talent. I had to protect this gift. I also instilled in her that she has to appreciate it in herself. I've been doing this all my life.

Do you feel this talent in your granddaughters?

Saida Elemanova: Oh, my granddaughters are certainly phenomenal. Suinbike – took a lot from her mother. I have high hopes for her in general. I hope that it’s true and will happen. She will do a lot. And Medina Bazargaliyeva is a charm. Clever, talented, kind, very good.


Saule Suleimenova- is a modern Kazakhstani artist, painter, actress, lecturer. Daughter of Saida Elemanova, mother of Suinbike Suleimenova and Medina Bazargaliyeva.

Saule, how did you discover Suinbike's talent?

Saule Suleimenova: As soon as I saw her for the first time, when they brought me this bundle with a monobrow, I looked at her and immediately thought — she is a genius. I've been thinking like that all my life.

Recently, I got memories shared on Facebook: poems by Suinbike at her 6, brilliant poems. God, what kind of work she had. She drew amazingly people at 4-6 years old way before she learned how to write, they had no ears, they had huge nostrils and they towered like mountains. Something amazing. She's an amazing individual.

Have you understood from an early age that the child of art is growing up?

Saule Suleimenova: You know, in fact, I just admired their essence (ed. Suinbike and Medina). Just like my mom. I loved to tell them from the moment they were born, thank you for choosing me as a mother. Thank you for your soul coming down to earth. And I never imposed anything. They both got an education of their choice, and we never paid money for it. I am amazed that our neighbors or relatives spend millions of tenge on their children’s education, and then children drop out of school. It is unclear to me why they do something against their will. In any case, a person will do as they feel.

Basically, we have the same values, we seem to be the representatives of the same party. Once we laughed, remembering how we came to a same place of discussion. Everyone came from different places, and we sat in different sides of the hall. We did not agree among ourselves, but we felt that we were like a kind of common movement that preaches common values. It's amazing.

They teach me every day. I discover a new language through them every day. Each in its own way. I see them as my inspiring colleagues, artists.

Facebook Saule.Suleimenova

What's it like to work with your daughters on the same project?

Saule Suleimenova: It's terrible. It's always very hard, and at the same time, very interesting. But I'm better off on my own. In one of our joint experiences, I took up transcendental meditation, because everything was boiling inside me and it was very difficult to find inner peace. We had constant skirmishes. It's not easy.

In fact, the family is drinking tea together, playing with a child together, walking. As if in fact, this is a doing nothing together. Collaborative creativity is where one suppresses and consumes another, and the other one obeys. Therefore, it is better to just drink tea together.

What advice can you give to parents who have a creative child growing up?

Saule Suleimenova: To see the creativity in a child is something divine, the universe.

First, imagine that this incredible human being, an incredible nature, has embodied in your child. Second, accept it. Meditate. Calm down and try to just see it.

I think that actually every child is a God. It needs to be seen. A newborn baby that just laying is God. When people say “I don’t believe in God,” do you have no children or have you not seen babies?! I want to wish people to see the God in their children.


Saida, March 8 – what holiday is it for you?

Saida Elemanova: Well, my attitude has changed regarding March 8th because of feminism. During childhood, in my youth, it was just another holiday. When the intense activism of children began (ed. note of the daughter and granddaughters), they very quickly decided on some basic conceptual things, and especially with regard to feminism. I have always been away from these things. I am a child of the Soviet era.

Is this a warm day, a warm holiday for you?

Saida Elemanova: Soviet holidays were never warm. There are has always been some kind of hostile base. It was as if there were some anti-tank hedgehogs in the subconscious.

Saule, what is this day for you?

Saule Suleimenova: This is the day when we realise and understand. This is a day of struggle for rights.