How Ikat Accompanied History in Central Asia
Ikat is a fabric that got its name from the resist dye technique used to make its patterns. But I’d like to show you ikat from a different perspective. In…
The Ethnographic Collection of the Gapar Aitiev Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts
The Gapar Aitiev Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts has played a significant role in exploring and preserving the rich history of Kyrgyzstan’s applied and fine arts for nearly a…
Kazakh Graphic Illustrations of Evgeny Sidorkin
Evgeny Matveevich Sidorkin (1930-1982) is a Soviet graphic illustrator and artist who was recognized by several prestigious awards for his art. He mainly worked in Kazakhstan and created powerful images…
Crafts and Couture from Central Asia Festival
From October 10 to October 13, the George Washington University’s Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies hosted the “Crafts and Couture from Central Asia” festival. The festival was organized…
Kyrgyz Fashion: Combining Tradition and Innovation
An artisan must always be an innovator: choosing and experimenting with new materials, techniques, ornaments, and shapes—but a good artisan must cherish traditions as well.Kyrgyz craftsmen know how to make…
“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…
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,…