Khoito-Aga ulus, Buryat national district, Chita region 1930-2014 Moscow, Russia

(1930, Khoyto-Aga – 2014, Moscow) A master in woodcarving, self-taught Buryat sculptor Serenjab Baldano distinguished himself among Soviet artists. His early life involved extensive travels across the USSR, studies in journalism and museum work. Later, as Chairman of the Union of Artists in Buryatia, he embraced his region’s traditional art, particularly woodcarving and its shamanic and Buddhist roots, exploring museum collections and meeting craftsmen. Facing the threat of political persecution for his independent vision in the late 1960s, Baldano moved to Almaty to avoid it. There, he found support from friends and mentors like Isaac Itkind, Abylkhan Kasteyev, Abram Cherkassky and Sergei Kalmykov. Baldano’s work resonates with ancient and primal power, crafting a mythical reality. His central theme became masks, notably his series Me and My Masks, on view in Qonaqtar. Their deeply expressive faces reflect complex emotions, embodying a bridge to previous generations, be they real or mythical. Highlighting his own story of cultural exchange in Almaty, these works are foundational to the collection of Almaty Museum of Arts, among the first acquired by founder Nurlan Smagulov.