ZenART's Membership Plans Terms & Conditions

(Updates effective 17/08/2020)

These terms and conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) govern the ZenART Supplies Rewards & Referral Plan as well as Subscribe & Save Plan (“Membership Plans”), and members of the programs will earn zen coins in connection with the purchase of qualifying online products and online activities that are redeemable towards the purchase of certain products online. For the re-occurring members (Subscribe & Save Plan) this includes exclusive gifts & content.

1. REWARDS & REFERRAL

  • Free. No purchase is necessary to obtain membership in the Rewards & Referral Program, but you must establish an account at https://shop.zenartsupplies.co/account/register . Please see our privacy policy, located here, to understand how information you provide us will be used. This program is void where prohibited.
  • Eligibility. In order to be eligible for the Rewards & Referral Program, you must create an account as outlined in these Terms and Conditions. You may create an account if you are at least seventeen (17) years of age, have Internet access, and have a valid mailing address. If you are between the ages of 17 and 18, you must have your parent’s permission to register for an account. If you choose to create an account, you are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account, username and password and for restricting access to your account. You are responsible for keeping such information current, complete, accurate and truthful. You agree to accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account, username and/or password. You agree to provide only current, complete, accurate and truthful information. If you are accessing and using the Site on someone else’s behalf, you represent that you have the authority to bind that person as the principal to all Terms and Conditions provided herein, and to the extent you do not have such authority you agree to be bound to these Terms and Conditions and to accept liability for harm caused by any wrongful use of the Site or Content resulting from such access or use. You may only have one member account per natural person. Persons who are discovered to have more than one account forfeit their zen coins and will be unsubscribed from the Loyalty Program.
  • How To Enroll in the Rewards & Referral Program. (a) Create an account: Visit www.zenartsupplies.com (the "Site" or "Online") and become a registered user of the Site. Click here to be taken directly to the registration page. You will be asked for your first and last name, your email address, and a password. You will also be given the option to sign up for our newsletter. Once you have submitted the requisite information, you will be sent an email to the address you listed confirming your membership. Once you have confirmed your email address, you are automatically enrolled in the Reward & Referral Program and are a member (“Member”).
  • How to Access/Change Your Member Information. You must keep your personal information on your Account up-to-date. To do so, click on the "My Account" section and access your account by entering your registered email address and current password. From your dashboard you can access your account information; review your current and past orders; change your profile; manage your subscriptions and applications, and access your previous purchases.
  • How to Cancel Your Membership. You may cancel an account at any time. To cancel your account, please send an email to support@zenartsupplies.co and write “cancel membership” in the subject line. The email must come from the account currently listed on our servers as being associated with your Rewards & Referral Program. If you no longer have access to that email address, please email our customer service department and we will verify your status and cancel your account. Upon cancellation, you are no longer a member, and any unused zen coins accrued in your account will be forfeited and cannot be redeemed. Zen coins maintain their value only on valid accounts in good standing, and except as otherwise provided here for redemption, have no cash value outside of their redemption value on the Site.

2. EARNING ZEN COINS

  • General Members can earn zen coins on the purchase of qualifying online products at zenartsupplies.co. To receive zen coins for your Online purchases, you must be signed into your account. You may check at any time to see if you are signed in to the Site by looking in the upper right-hand corner of the site. Gift cards do not qualify for zen coins. Other products that do not qualify for zen coins are noted on the Site.
  • Earning Rate. Members earn 5 sen coins for every $1.00 spent on qualifying purchases (in other words, one (5) zen coins for every one dollar ($1) spent). Zen coins are based on your order subtotal, after any discounts, only. Zen coins are rounded down to the nearest whole number. For example, if you spend $9.99, you will receive 9 zen coins. The calculation is as follows: $9.99 x 1 zen coins per dollar = 9.99 zen coins, which is rounded down to 9 zen coins. This program started on August 17, 2020, and initial levels were set on the 2020 amount spent on ordering products. Note: Shipping and Taxes are not taken into consideration. If an item is return and/or price adjusted that will also be removed from your rewards calculations.
  • Gift Cards. Gift card purchases are not eligible to receive zen coins. However, once a gift card is redeemed, zen coins will be awarded to the recipient for the subtotal after any gift card values, provided s/he is logged into the account, as outlined in these Terms and Conditions.
  • Addition of Zen Coins to Accounts. Zen Coins will be added to your Account under the following conditions, and will generally show up immediately. You will receive zen coins:
    • At the time of account registration
    • During the purchase of qualifying products
    • For other activities outlined on the Site that may show up from time to time. Note that for these other activities, including “bonus zen coins” accumulations and other zen coin promotions, zen coins may show as “pending,” depending upon the activity.
    • Joining the Birthday Club. Birthdate must be entered 30 days before your Birthday to qualify.
    • For Liking the ZenART Supplies Facebook page and sharing the ZenART Supplies Facebook page with your following. This is good one time only.
    • Following ZenART Supplies on Instagram. This is good one time only.
    • Referring a friend to ZenART Supplies. Your account will be automatically awarded the discount only if the referral friend used the link sent to them from your referral account and makes a qualifying purchase. Discount will automatically be applied to account if stipulations are met.
  • Exclusions. Members earn zen coins only on the purchase price of: (i) qualifying online products. Calculation of zen coins excludes payment by the Member for shipping charges and all taxes, including without limitation, federal, state, and local taxes or use taxes. Zen Coins will not be earned on any discounts or other credits offered in connection with a product or service. For example, if a product that is normally $50 is on sale for $25, a Member will only earn zen coins on the purchase price of $25. Purchases of gift cards, redemption of vouchers, and any type of price adjustments, including merchandise returns, are not eligible for zen coins. All purchases made: (i) by a Member prior to such member joining the Program, (ii) Online without a Member being logged onto the Website with the Member's Account number linked to the Member's Online account, are not eligible for Reward & Referral Program credit. The purchase of ZenART Supplies products outside the Zenartsupplies.co website are not eligible for the Reward & Referral Program.
  • Returns/Order Cancellations. Zen Coins earned for a purchase that is then the subject of a return, cancellation, refund, declined credit card or gift card, or other credit will be deducted from your account in an amount equal to the zen coins earned for the original transaction, including any bonus zen coins that may be applicable. Any rewards discounts that are applied to the order, will be distributed equally to the applicable items in the order when completing a return. Zen Coins redeemed on an order will not be reapplied back to your rewards account for any reason on a returned order. If a return/cancellation will cause your account to have a negative zen coin balance, you will not begin earning zen coins again until your zen coins balance is returned to zero (0), by making purchases, or engaging in other promotional activities offered from time to time. If an item is exchanged (different product) any redeemed rewards on the initial purchase may be transferred to the exchange one (1) time only. Rewards used on an order that is canceled cannot be reapplied as they are good for just one use.
  • Bonus Zen Coins Promotions. From time to time, ZenART Supplies may run certain bonus zen coin promotions. Under bonus zen coin promotions, Members can earn additional or "bonus zen coins" in connection with the purchase of certain online products. When you purchase these specially marked products or make the purchase during a bonus zen coins time period, you will earn bonus zen coins on each product, as specified in the offer. Bonus zen coin promotions are subject to the terms and conditions of the offer and may be offered at any time in ZenART Supplies sole discretion. Bonus zen coin offers cannot be combined with any other offer.
  • Limitations on Bonus Zen Coins and Zen Coins, Generally. These terms apply to zen coins and bonus zen coins accruals. If you purchase a product during a promotion and the product comes with an additional, free product, zen coins will not be issued on the retail value of the free product. If you redeem zen coins towards the purchase of a product and pay a portion of the retail price after the zen coin's redemption, you will receive zen coins only on the leftover retail amount you pay, and not on any value attributed to the zen coin you used. If you redeem zen coins towards the purchase of a product in an amount equal to the full price of the product, you will not earn any zen coins.
  • Non-purchase Options for Earning Zen Coins. You may also earn additional zen coins on non-purchase activities. From time to time, ZenART Supplies may offer you the chance to win various prizes, and earn zen coins, for entering into promotions. For sweepstakes promotions, there is NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO PLAY OR TO WIN. Rules and restrictions will apply to such promotions and may be found on the entry page of any promotion.
  • Referring a friend to ZenART Supplies. Email a friend an $8 off coupon on $50 order by clicking “ Earn Zen Coins” then “ Refer a Friend”. Enter the email address of a friend who has not purchased with ZenART Supplies before (if your referral has shopped with us before the referral link will be automatically voided by the system). A referral link will be sent to your friend with an $8 off coupon on a $50 order. $8 off coupon on $50 order will automatically be rewarded to your account only if the referral friend used the link sent to them from your referral account and makes a qualifying first-time purchase with ZenART Supplies. Your Referral friend will receive an $8 off coupon on $50 order, 200 zen coins for signing up, and zen coins from their first purchase made while signed into their new ZenART Supplies account.

3. REDEEMING ZEN COINS

  • How To Use Your Zen Coins. Zen Coins must be used in increments outlined in these Terms and Conditions. The maximum number of zen coins that may be used in a single transaction is 10,000 zen coins. Zen Coins may only be used Online at the ZenART Supplies website. Zen Coins towards Products: Members can use their zen coins to reduce the purchase price of a product or to receive a product for free based on the following scale:
    • 500 zen coins = $5.00 off
    • 1,000 zen coins = $10.00 off your at least $50 order
    • 1,500 zen coins = $15.00 off your at least $50 order
    • 2,500 zen coins = $25.00 off your at least $50 order

    Zen Coins can only be redeemed in any combination of the zen coin and increment amounts set forth above. Redemption of zen coins towards purchases of products is subject to product availability. Any rewards discounts that are applied to the order, will be distributed equally to the applicable items in the order when completing a return.

  • Gift cards. Once available, zen coins cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards. Gift card redemption, however, is eligible for zen coins. Zen Coins accrued pursuant to the use of a gift card will benefit the gift card user, provided the user has an account in accordance with these Terms and Conditions.
  • To Redeem your Zen Coins. Before you begin shopping with us, sign in to your Shop account on our site. Select “Redeem Zen Coins” from the red tab housed in the lower left-hand corner of the screen and select the amount of zen coins you would like to redeem. You will be issued a custom code that you can copy and paste into the discount bar during check out (Please note - only one code can be used). Your total payment amount will be discounted by the amount of zen coins you allocate to the purchase. Note that zen coins may only be redeemed for the purchase price of the product. Sales tax, shipping, and other handling charges assessed in addition to the price of the product are your responsibility and zen coins may not be used to discount these additional charges.
  • Exclusions. Only one account per natural person. Only one discount code can be redeemed per transaction. Rewards redemption codes may not be combined with any other discount codes. Zen Coins may not be transferred or gifted at this time. Zen Coins cannot be used on past purchases. Zen Coins accumulated on different accounts by different members may not be combined or aggregated to make purchases of products or for any other reason. Zen Coins earned in a transaction cannot be redeemed in the same transaction. Redeemed zen coins cannot be retroactively applied to any past order or receive a price adjustment on any order where redeemed zen coins were not applied. Zen Coins have no cash value outside of the ZenART Supplies website and are available only to members in good standing.
  • Zen Coins Expiration and Time Lapses. All zen coins acquired, whether standard zen coins or bonus zen coins, shall expire 180 days from the date the zen coins are added to your account. Zen Coins expire 180 days from the date in which they were assigned to your account. Specific onsite activities in which zen coins will be awarded are set to accrue zen coins based on a time-lapse at the discretion of ZenART Supplies.
    • Sign up: zen coins are added to your account instantly
    • Order: zen coins are added to your account when your order is placed.
  • Once zen coins are redeemed, a discount code will be assigned and we are unable to cancel the discount code and reapply the zen coins to your Reward & Referral account. Discount codes generated by redeeming zen coins do not expire until used. They are a one-time use code, so once it is used it is gone. If an order is returned zen coins will not be reinstated.

4. Subscribe & Save Plan

  • Re-occurring purchase. Purchase is necessary in order to participate in this plan. The plan is worth $6.95 and will be charged to your account on the same date of the month that you purchased the plan, i.e. if you purchased the plan on 19th of January, you will be charged for the plan on the 19th of each month you are a Subscribe & Save Plan member.
  • 15% re-occurring discount. As a member of the subscribe & Save Plan, you are eligible for a 15% discount every time you put an order in place. You are qualified for the discount as soon as you purchase the plan.
  • Cancellation. After a purchase made with a Subscribe & Save Plan, you are not able to get a refund for the plan for the month the purchase was valid for but you can cancel for the following months.
  • Free samples & accessories. These are included for members of Subscribe & Save Plan only. These are not included in each order but the member will be informed when they will receive "extras" in their order.
  • Access to exclusive content. Exclusive access to tutorials, guides, tips & tricks in video, pdf, or audio format will be part of the membership program. Not all exclusive content is available but what is and will be available is up to ZenART Supplies sole discretion.

5. GENERAL

  • By registering with Zenartsupplies.co and joining the Reward & Referral Program, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions set forth in these Terms and Conditions, as well as any other terms that may be associated with the Reward & Referral Program. ZenART Supplies reserves the right to cancel, modify, suspend or restrict the Reward & Referral Program, your account, the redemption of zen coins, or any aspect of the Program, including, without limitation, the zen coin conversion ratio and the zen coin expiration policy at any time. Any changes can be made without advance notice. ZenART Supplies may make these changes even though such changes may affect your ability to use zen coins already accumulated. You are responsible for remaining knowledgeable about the Program Terms and Conditions. A Member's zen coins balance, as reflected in ZenART Supplies records, shall be deemed correct. ZenART Supplies reserves the right to determine the amount of zen coins in any Member's account based on ZenART Supplies' internal records related to such Member's account. In the event of an inconsistency between the amount accrued in a Member's account as stated on any Member's receipt and ZenART Supplies internal records, ZenART Supplies internal records will control. ZenART Supplies assumes no responsibility for errors caused by incorrect Member information. Your right to transfer zen coins earned or granted under the Program is strictly limited. The sale of zen coins is prohibited and may result in the confiscation or cancellation of your zen coins as well as suspension or termination of your membership, which in each case shall be final and conclusive. All transactions involving zen coins and all Member accounts are subject to review and verification by ZenART Supplies. The zen coins balance in a Member's account may be unavailable for use when an account or transaction is under review. ZenART Supplies may revoke any Member's membership in the Reward & Referral Program at any time if such Member engages in abuse of the Reward & Referral Program or fails to follow the terms and conditions of the Program. Fraud or abuse relating to the accrual of zen coins or redemption of rewards may result in revocation of membership in the Program and may affect a Member's eligibility for participation in any other ZenART Supplies program, present or future. Zen Coins are non-transferable and cannot be redeemed for cash. The interpretation and application of the Program's Terms and Conditions are at the sole discretion and determination of ZenART Supplies. For more information or other questions, click on Contact Us.
  • The Terms and Conditions of the loyalty program are subject to change at ZenART Supplies’ sole discretion at any time and without notice to customers. Upon customer’s at-will termination of their Zenartsupplies.com registered account, or if a customer is termination for violation of these Terms and Conditions or other activities in violation of the intent and good faith intended use of this Site, all zen coins will immediately be forfeited and will no longer be redeemable. ZenART Supplies will make reasonable efforts to award zen coins as outlined above to all 1. registered and 2. qualifying Zenartsupplies.co customers but is not responsible for any technical or unforeseen errors that may occur.
  • Zen Coins are nontransferable, nonredeemable for cash, are nonrefundable and are not valid outside of Zenartsupplies.co. Purchases made outside Zenartsupplies.co are not valid for zen coin accrual (this includes, but is not limited to Facebook resell groups, Ebay, and Amazon).
  • Employees of ZenART Supplies are not eligible to participate in the Reward & Referral Program.

Subscribe & Save Plan

Membership Benefits for Just $6.95/Month

For other currencies, the respective conversion applies.

CLICK HERE FOR FULL TERMS & CONDITIONS
Inspiration

Ardak Kassenova: Art Inspiration, Contemporary Impressionism and Establishing ZenART Supplies

Ardak Kassenova: Art Inspiration, Contemporary Impressionism and Establishing ZenART Supplies

Art inspiration, contemporary impressionism and establishing a brand that genuinely cares for the artists. Let's take a look at the personal and professional life of the artist, creative director and co-founder of ZenART Supplies, Ardak Kassenova.


Early Life
Art at an Early Age
A Life of Learning
Art Practice as a Young Adult
Art and Travel Life
Love and Family
Journey to Zen and ZenART Supplies
Selected Artworks


Ardak Kassenova is a London based contemporary artist, co-founder and creative director of ZenART Supplies. Her body of work consists of paintings rendered with loose, expressive and fast brushwork focused on capturing the effects of light on subjects like tastefully arranged flowers and natural sceneries. Her visual style-contemporary impressionism-share similar aesthetic qualities with those by the French Impressionists.

After 20 years of a successful corporate career, becoming a mother to two wonderful girls, and with the continuous development of her practice by taking private lessons and art inspiration from the best artists she could find; Ardak decided it's time to align her life with her true passion, Art. Driven by this passion and her corporate leadership background, she co-founded ZenART.


"My heart and soul were always with Art, and since my childhood as long as I remember myself, I have dreamed of being an artist. I was painting after work, when I had time, and teaching myself through the books, videos, visiting art galleries and museums. I've been very curious about different techniques and styles, and therefore accumulated knowledge and experience on a variety of mediums."

-Ardak Kassenova


Early Life

Ardak was born on the 1st of April 1979 at Almaty, the capital city of Kazakhstan during the time when the republic was still part of the Soviet Union. Both of Ardak's parents are distinguished academics. Her mother, Tamara Gissanova was a teacher and later the Head of Bibliography department at the National Medical University. Her father, Kanay Kassenov was a poet, inventor and activist who worked as a geologist and engineer. 

Tamara, her mother, believes in the importance of education and has a natural talent of instilling curiosity and the love for learning. Not only did she support Ardak's education but all her relatives and grandchildren, too. She made sure that Ardak grew up loving and respecting books by surrounding her with reading materials, articles, art inspiration and tales. Kanay, her father, was born ahead of his time and was actively opposing the Soviet injustices-fighting to close the nuclear testing polygon in Semipalatinsk region of Kazakhstan, his birthplace. He wrote articles about ecological problems including the Semey Polygon, the drying Aral Sea, rational usage of water resources, and the issues of Kazakh language in Kazakhstan.

Ardak with her family
Ardak in the middle, with her father, mother and sister

Zhuldyz Kassenova, Ardak's sister, is two years her senior and has always supported her. Zhuldyz encouraged Ardak to always have a positive outlook in life and taught her to truly believe in herself. Both Ardak and Zhuldyz are now excelling and making a name in their own chosen industries. Other than her businesses, Zhuldyz also launched her self-development programme "15 Steps to Zen," which aims to empower women to find their true purpose in life and balance in all aspects of life.

Ardak with her sister
Ardak and Zhuldyz

Ardak's grandparents were all survivors of the great Kazakh famine of 1930-1933 also known as the Goloshchyokin genocide, as well as the first and second World War. Despite all these hardships, her grandparents survived and thrived. In them, Ardak saw strength and courage and became one of her life-long inspirations. Teaching her the true value of hard work, gratitude, happiness from helping others and just enjoying each day as they come.

 

Art at an Early Age

Ardak's parents were very supportive of their children's artistic inclinations. As a result, everybody in her family was given the chance to hone many talents. Having an extensive home library within arm's reach, reading was not only a necessity for Ardak but a hobby she cherished. Her mother taught them how to systematically find information and work with the libraries at the time of no internet and no computers to easily look up something. All the information could only be found in printed books and journals. Ardak's mother being Head of the Bibliography department had access to a wealth of information and would bring home various resource materials to provide art inspiration and support the interest of her daughters.

Ardak Kassenova 4 year old collage art inspiration
Ardak's collage at 4 yrs old

 

Ardak Kassenova 4 year old painting art inspiration
Ardak's painting at 4 yrs old
Ardak Kassenova 10 year old drawing art inspiration
Ardak's drawing at 10 yrs old

Tamara also taught them how to do all kinds of creative projects like knitting, crocheting, modelling and sewing clothes, understanding the patterns and constructing them, embroidery, patchworking, cooking, and baking amongst others. They were encouraged to focus on their main priorities-studies, music school, sports and other extracurricular activities. And for her father, Kanay, arts were a matter of pride. He would always encourage his daughters to paint, sing, dance, play the piano, compose poems, play chess amongst other kinds of self-development.

Ardak with family and friends
Ardak with her sister, father, mother and friends

As they grow older, surrounded by their parent's creative circle of friends-musicians, poets, writers, scientists and free-thinkers-Ardak and Zhuldyz had all the support and art inspiration they needed to practice arts. They were encouraged to go to art museums, concerts and since music played a big role in their lives, Ardak's mother, Tamara, subscribed to a special pass to the local philharmonic events for children that allowed the girls to attend weekly. Ardak's parents continued to provide ample space and time to practice, to find the classes with the best teachers, supplies, tools, and instruments to support their artistic inclinations.

A Life of Learning

At a young age, Ardak has shown an affinity for studying and excelling in whatever she puts her mind to. At the age of 4, she started writing poems in a notebook that she crafted by cutting and stitching together pieces of paper and later decorating the cover with collages made from postcards and magazine cut-outs.

Ardak at Nursery
Ardak at the Nursery.

When she was 5, her art teacher asked them to draw 'who they'd want to be in life' and Ardak, with no hesitation, and full of art inspiration, drew an artist. At the age of 6, as advised by her nursery teacher, Ardak started school a year earlier than children her age. 

Ardak studied in the state school no. 24 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. During her primary school years, she was sent by the school to take part in the Republic Olympiad in Math, and won second place, earning her an invitation to be a member of the National Children's Maths Club. Nearing her last 2 years of studies, the school changed its status from a state school to private and became Liceum with some of the best teachers in the capital city under its belt. 

Who do you want to be? Ardak's drawing at 5 year old

Her parents worked hard and sacrificed a lot to give her the best education in the city. And because of her excellence the previous year, Ardak was awarded the only scholarship, making her the only student in the school who studied for free the whole year. In 1995, she accomplished a certificate in Accounting from the prestigious Kazakh State Academy of Management now known as Narxoz University in Almaty.

On top of her academic achievements and visual art pursuits, Ardak also graduated with merit from Music School No. 2 in Almaty, topping the class. She was a soloist of the choir, played the piano at the most technically difficult level and was very good in solfeggio and composing music. Her teachers prepared her to study at a conservatory and encouraged her to pursue a career in music.

However, due to the unrest caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union, and considering her exceptional performance in other subjects, especially in Math, Ardak's parents strongly suggested pursuing business and economics instead. A path that would give her an edge towards having a successful career and better, more stable earnings in the future. 

It was no surprise then when Ardak received a full scholarship from the prestigious Kazakh State Academy of Management-now Narxoz University-and a government stipend for being the best student. The stipend was comparable to a small salary which afforded her to help her parents. In 1999, Ardak obtained a Degree in Marketing and Economics with merit, which helped her land her first well-paid job at the British Council.

Ardak at British Council
Ardak with friends and colleagues from the British Council

While studying for her first degree, she was selected for the exchange programme at the Moscow State University, for the Department of Mechanics and Mathematics. Due to her parent's fear of being away too far, living alone in a big, tough city, she had to decline. This she admits to regretting, but it taught her a valuable lesson in life, to make her own decisions for her future and not be affected by other people's opinions and especially, their fears. 

Her love for knowledge and self-development prompted her to self-fund her continuing studies in Glasgow, United Kingdom. This was a huge investment for Ardak, as not only did she have to pay international student tuition fees, she also had to take care of all her living expenses in the UK. The people in her circle couldn't understand why she was doing it, as she had already a good job and comfortable life. In 2005, Ardak gained her Master of Science degree in Information Management at the University of Strathclyde. This degree helped further her career progression. 


"I believe that investment in education always repays, and it really opened more doors for me. I was constantly studying at the different jobs I did, and still do lots of self-study on any topic I'm interested in. I believe in life-long learning." 

-Ardak Kassenova


Ardak at Slade School of Fine Arts, UCL

Ardak also completed courses on Product Design at UAL Central St. Martins, Figurative Life drawing at the Royal School of Drawing, Developing Artist Practice at UCL Slade School of Fine Arts, and masterclasses of Anastasia Shimshilashvili #artshima learning #shimamethod, in addition to other courses through different online platforms.

Her next target? Ardak wants to attend summer school at the Repin Academy of Arts in St. Petersburg, when the situation with COVID will get better.  


"For my parents, education and skills were more important than material possessions, and my father was always saying that 'materialistic things can be lost, stolen, damaged or deteriorated, but your knowledge, skills, and values are always with you, and you can always live a fuller life if you are creative and able to fulfill your dreams, that you can always re-create your life or re-discover yourself at any point of your life, as long as you are true to yourself and your ideas."

-Ardak Kassenova


Art Practice as a Young Adult

Almaty, which was the capital of Kazakhstan is largely considered to be the heart and soul of the country's classical and popular cultures. Growing up in Almaty, surrounded by arts, Ardak successfully balanced her academic and extracurricular life. All throughout the years, Ardak made time to develop her practice and take arts-related classes after school.

Ardak's first clients were her classmates from both Liceum and the university, who commissioned her to draw their pencil portraits for the graduation album, which she endeavoured to complete in between breaks or after classes. She took part in art competitions, won a few prizes, was commissioned by her school and the university to make large-scale posters for various occasions using gouache paint or ink with extra-large tips. She did the lettering for the university department timetables and announcements among others.

Later in workplaces, Ardak also dabbled in concept designs for the logos, packaging and publications which, at that time, were completely unrelated to her main position. Art inspiration and encouragement were everywhere.

Art and Travel Life

As part of the Republic Children's Opera Theatre, Ardak and her sister Zhuldyz were chosen to participate in the Children Singing Festival and travelled to Moscow and Belgorod. Being part of a huge festival, meeting interesting people from different republics, making new friends, singing and showing their talents on a big stage was a  great boost of confidence for the sisters. 

Ardak in London
Ardak in London, 2003

Most of Ardak's international travel began later after she graduated from university. In 2000, she landed her first full-time job at the British Council. This prompted her very first trip to the UK, which she tremendously enjoyed. She visited London, Cambridge, took a course at Saffron-Walden, and fell in love with the British culture and all the art inspiration in London. She explored main art galleries and museums, took bus tours and wandered around the streets, armed with a little map book of London.  

Ardak in Thailand
Ardak in Thailand, 2005

Since then, Ardak made sure to visit the UK once every year, and in 2004 decided to take a risk and continue her studies at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, where she earned her Master of Science in Information Management. Strange enough, one of the main reasons she chose Glasgow was because it was full of Charles Rennie Mackintosh' art and architecture, which was a big inspiration for her at that time. 

Later, Ardak travelled more to explore different cultures and collect lots of positive memories and art inspiration for her paintings. To date, she's visited South Korea, Thailand, the USA, including Niagra Falls and Hawaii, Italy, Spain, Greece, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong, Germany, France, Switzerland, Turkey, Romania, Kyrgyzstan and others.

Ardak with Roberto at Venice
Ardak and Roberto in Venice, Italy

Out of all those countries, Italy was love at first sight for Ardak. Since she was very young, Italy had been on the top of her list but whenever she planned to go, something always came up that would require her to postpone her long-awaited trip. Call it serendipitous, chance, fate but since she met Roberto in 2008, Ardak has been to her beloved Italy many times than all other countries. Especially now that she has her Italian family to visit.

 

Love and Family

Ardak and Roberto wedding
Ardak and Roberto's wedding in Italy

In July 2008, soon after Ardak moved to London, she met Roberto. Ardak and Roberto's love bloomed every day. They got engaged by the end of 2008 and in 2009, the couple exchanged their vows in three weddings surrounded by friends and loved ones-first in London, second in Kazakhstan, and third in Italy.

Tamara with her set of brushes

Though it took a while, in August 2013, Tamara, their first daughter came into the world. Ardak had to undergo two ivf-s to conceive which took a huge toll on her health. Roberto supported his wife and despite the post-natal depression struggle and strong hormonal imbalance Ardak turned to her family and lived an artful life. She joined an art club to meet fellow artists, and consistently draw in art inspiration, painted regularly and worked on developing her own visual style. In October 2015, Laura, their second daughter was born. Both Tamara and Laura are making the life of the parents even more joyful with their creativity and talents.

Ardak with Roberto, Tamara and Laura
Ardak with Roberto, Laura and Tamara, 2020.

Now a mother to two beautiful girls and used to a life working in the corporate world, Ardak and Roberto decided to establish a company that they can run from home. Ardak created her own brand of art materials, a business that is true to her passion and vision.

 

Journey to Zen and ZenART Supplies

In 2015, because of the difficulty of going to physical art shops with a baby and a toddler in tow, on top of having to choose among thousands of options, quality issues, and all other struggles with art supplies, Ardak and Roberto added a 5th member of the family-ZenART Supplies.

Ardak designing ZenART oil paint set art inspiration
Ardak between initial testing for creating the first oil paint sets.

ZenART Supplies is a family-run business, a brand that continues to endeavour helping artists fulfil their creative dreams and achieve best results first by using high-quality art materials at an affordable price, second, by guiding artists in every part of their artistic journey through useful resources and tutorials and lastly, by inviting artists to ZenART's vibrant online community of fellow artists supporting each other.

Presentation of ZenART Supplies at the Entrepreneur Institute Wealth Dynamics Masters programme in Bali, 2017

Ardak also made sure to work closely with other professional artists to design and create the best possible fine art tools. In this, she was guided by the advice from her art teachers, who were always encouraging her to use professional quality tools from the beginning, or as they say "the best fine art tools you can afford" because the quality of your tools and materials matter in taking the pain out of painting. 

"ZenART is a journey to Zen-your harmonious self, calm and energised, through ART-the universal language of the soul, which speaks when your mind is quiet. Ardak personally considers art as a joyful meditative process. A process that brings about time to slow down and be mindful, content and be one with your true self."

Contemporary Impressionism

The movement Impressionism has been a constant art inspiration for ZenART Supplies and Ardak's visual style. The rendering of quick short strokes and layers of wet paint on canvas all to capture where the light touches an object, a view. Let's take a look at some of Ardak Kassenova's works.

Ardak
Blush blossoms - shot in progress, one the first oil paintings, oil on canvas by Ardak Kassenova

 

Castello plein air, oil on canvas by Ardak Kassenova
Red blossoms, oil on canvas by Ardak Kassenova

 

Blossoms triptych, oil on canvas by Ardak Kassenova

 

You are my sunshine, I am your moon - inspired by Mary Cassatt, Oil on canvas by Ardak Kassenova

Poem by Ardak Kassenova

Creativity is something inside me

It's so hard to explain with your logic. 

Creativity is what do you dream of

And it flies away or flicks back in second. 

Inspiration is everywhere around us,

Keep your inner child curious, happy.

Think of art as an echo, expression

Of eternal soul's blissful whispers. 

It comes late at night when it's quiet

When the whole world is sleeping and dreaming.

When accomplices are moon and my armchair 

When I can't stop wild spirits inside me. 

Keep awake my canvas and brushes 

And exchange flows of energy currents. 

It's the time when my mind is so silent 

I dissolve in such mindful moments.

It can spread from dawn till the dusk time

And feeds hunger for my self expression. 

Come and join the solitude wonder,

Capture life moments forever.

 

Say hello to our ZenARTist for December 2020, find @ardak_zenart on Instagram! What questions do you have for Ardak? Leave your comments below, we'd love to hear your thoughts!


- MEET THE AUTHOR-

 


Fabrianne is the Ambassador of Art Buzz at ZenART, resident eccentric pocket-sized art curator, editor, and art world liaison. She builds and develops relationships with the arts community and makes sure that ZenART's inspirational articles get to you "hot off the press." She co-founded an online contemporary art gallery, worked with over 100 artists on exhibitions and performances, wears only black clothes and when she's not creating buzz or curating and saturating in art, still daydreams of becoming a quirky Wes Anderson film character.


 


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