Aruzhan Nugmanova
a small archive of things I've made
drag over the photo to reveal ✦
gallery
about
A Central Asian girl from Kazakhstan, currently making things at Milton Academy.
I find a lot of inspiration in being "in-between," and it comes long along from my own culture. Kazakhstan is between continents and countries, speaking Russian while looking Asian, and now I'm here, the daughter of the steppe between the USA and Kazakhstan, between art and science, between the feeling of past and the future.
I work across paintings, ceramics, architecture, 3D modeling, and digital illustration. My work returns again and again to the same questions: what does it mean to belong to two places at once? How do you carry a culture across an ocean? What survives translation, and what can only be made new? Many of my pieces draw from Kazakh visual heritage, the shanyrak, the ornaments, the steppe, and place it in conversation with the worlds I'm finding here. The star you saw at the start of this site appears throughout my work. I keep coming back to it.
In my free time I love hiking, climbing outside, doing art (of course), and playing music. I play four instruments, and I love all of them (though I've only really mastered piano, and even that I don't play as often anymore).
Find my contact at the bottom of the website to chat about anything. I would love new friends, collaborations, partners, and just new ideas for my work. Thank you :)
cv
Education
- Milton Academy2025 – present
- Interlochen Arts Academy2024 – 2025
- Indigo Art School2021 – 2024
- National School of Physics and Math (NSPM)2016 – 2024
Permanent Installations
- Claire Skinner Memorial Competition Winner · symbolic sculpture created in collaboration with Bradom Zhang, selected for permanent installation on the Interlochen Center for the Arts campus. Unveiling reception to come. 2026
Selected Awards & Recognition
- American Visions Nominee for My Heritage, one of the five best works selected across all art categories in Massachusetts · Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2026
- Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Massachusetts · 3 Gold Keys, 3 Silver Keys, 2 Honorable Mentions in Art 2026
- Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Massachusetts · 1 Gold Key in Poetry, 1 Honorable Mention in Critical Essay 2026
- Persky Award for artwork showcased in Milton Academy student publications, recognizing My Heritage · 47th Persky Awards 2026
- Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, Michigan · 2 Silver Keys, 3 Honorable Mentions in Art 2025
Exhibitions
- Regional Scholastic Exhibition, Tufts University · sponsored by Scholastic. Delivered a speech as an American Visions Nominee. March 2026
- Student Jury Exhibition, Traverse City, Michigan · two works sold January 2025
- National Museum of Art, Astana, Kazakhstan July – September 2024
Press & Media
Skills & Media
Acrylic and oil painting · Watercolor · Ceramics and sculpture · Jewelry · Architectural model-making · 3D modeling in Blender · Adobe Illustrator · Adobe Photoshop
contact
For inquiries, collaborations, or just to say hello.