“Captain Ikat”: Textile Fantasies of Dilyara Kaipova
In the picture to the right, we see beautiful Central Asian fabrics with an abr (ikat) pattern that convey the mystical spirit of the Middle Ages, the atmosphere of the…
The Cruel Candor of Zhanna Isabaeva
Within a mere ten years, director Zhanna Isabaeva carved out a firm place for herself in modern Kazakhstani cinema. She has done so all on her own: neither the state…
Central Asian and Azerbaijani Contemporary Art Discussion at Asia House, UK
“Azerbaijani and Central Asian art have a lot to offer the world in terms of discovery,” – says Rose Issa, a renowned curator and writer who has helped to introduce Iranian…
Carpets in Uzbekistan: History and Traditions
Carpet-weaving is an amazing art with which mankind has been familiar for almost five millennia (the first known nap structures were found among the archaeological remains of ancient Sumer). Carpets…
Civil Protests, Art, and Politics in Kazakhstan
As Kazakhstan heads for its first presidential election without long-time leader Nursultan Nazarbayev, a group of creative youth activists has shattered the appearance of stability in the country with several…
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FOUNDING FATHER. Shaken Aimanov: The Man at the Core of Kazakh Cinema
To most young Kazakhs, the films of Shaken Aimanov are unknown. Many have never even heard his name. Even Aimanov’s greatest hits – Our Dear Doctor (1957) and The End of…
The Democracy of Ikat and Suzani, or How Unique Looks are Created in Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan’s beautiful architecture fascinates tourists from around the world, but they can not take Gur-Emir with them when they leave. Yet they can fill their suitcases with smaller items: painted…
Olzhas Suleimenov on Eurasianism, Internationalism and the Forgotten Past
Olzhas Suleimenov is a poet, literary scholar, public figure, and diplomat. His contribution to the Kazakh culture is hard to overestimateAlongside his legendary book Az i Ya and his staggering poetry,…
Uzbek Dance Art: Past and Present – In the Wake of Tashkent Encounters
Author Rosa Vercoe Rosa Vercoe is a freelance blogger who has recently started her own blog. She was born in Turkmenistan (Mary) but grew up in Kazakhstan (Almaty). Rosa is…
Saule Suleimenova: A Journey to Find True Kazakhness
Saule Suleimenova is a contemporary artist based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She works with a wide range of media: watercolors, wax engraving, painting on newspaper, archival photos painted over urban graffiti,…
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Shashmaqam – Music and Poetry of Central Asia
Shashmaqam is a Central Asian musical genre typical of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It is a refined sort of music, with lyrics derived from Sufi poems. Despite this close relation to Sufi ideas and an overall perception of…
Artist Talk: “I Protest with My Art”. Interview with Marifat Davlatova, contemporary artist from Tajikistan
“I started painting as a child. At first I copied some pictures and understood that this was what I liked—just to paint. Then I went to the children’s artistic school…
Dancing in the Desert
The leap from dictatorship to dance fest destination is not one made by many countries, but last weekend Uzbekistan reinvented its image by staging a bold electronic music festival that…