The mural "Bard" was inspired by Kazakh culture and music. Having grown up in Kazakhstan, I have been exposed to a lot of its traditions, and the memories of the clothing and ornament design really stuck with me. It felt great to revisit the familiar imagery and explore how I could draw upon a quickly recognizable aesthetic. Not many people are aware of Kazakhstan's history and traditions, so maybe this piece of art could be a small glance for someone to want to learn more. 

The building the mural is painted on is where my fine art studio is located, and I really liked the idea of having a guardian by the door to greet everyone visiting the studio. (Something similar to the guardians from the Sandman comic books by Neil Gaiman). I challenged the palette used for this mural, and forced myself to be more careful with highly saturated colors and highly contrasting values. - Ilya Viraychev