ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
ABOUT ISHAQ AZIZ
Ishaq Aziz is a Dolan folk artist and cultural heritage practitioner based in Awat, Xinjiang, dedicated to the creation and preservation of Dolan peasant painting. Skilled in both traditional Dolan painting techniques and large-scale mural painting, his work explores rural customs, ethnic unity, Dolan cultural traditions, pastoral landscapes, and scenes of harvest and everyday life.
Beyond his artistic practice, Ishaq is deeply involved in the transmission of intangible cultural heritage. He has long participated in educational programs that bring traditional art into schools, teaching younger generations about Dolan painting and its techniques. He also contributes to community mural projects and rural cultural initiatives, using art as a way to preserve and share local traditions.
In 2023, Ishaq participated in a national professional development program for leading practitioners of peasant painting organized through China’s cultural centers and stations. In 2024, his works Sunflower Harvest and Sharing the Beauty of Culture were selected for a special online exhibition of peasant painting in Awat County.
In 2025, his work Playing Music was selected for a special exhibition of peasant painting in Shanghai. That same year, he participated in the creation of the large-scale Dolan peasant painting scroll The Bright Moon Shines over the Tianshan Mountains, which was exhibited in connection with a Dolan peasant painting exhibition at the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
In May 2024, several of his works—including Growing Toward the Sun, Happy Sheep, Country Girl, Dolan Meshrep, Calabash Brothers, Playing Music, and The First Snow of the Year—received Encouragement Awards in the “Colors of the Land, New Expressions of the Silk Road” Outstanding Peasant Painting Exhibition, organized by the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Through both artistic creation and community education, Ishaq continues to preserve and promote the traditions of Dolan folk culture while bringing its visual language to new audiences.
RELATED ARTIST VOICE