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| Madina Khasambaeva's huge suzani - 6 x 4 metres: it took 2 years to complete. |
It was the final part of art historian Binafsha Nodir's exhibition projects dedicated to the revival and preservation of the traditions of the Tashkent school of embroidery.
It featured the work of Madina Kasimbaeva, the sole needlewoman to successfully revive the unique tradition of the Tashkent school.
The exhibition, which detailed the creation of modern Tashkent palyak suzani from initial design sketch to the finished embroidered piece, immersed the viewer in the creative atmosphere accompanying the birth of this new incarnation of a tradition once lost.
The highlight was Kasambaeva's immense 6 x 4 metre suzani, superbly displayed in the "Secret Room", which took two years to complete.
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| Madina Kasimbaeva and Binafsha Nodir |
A stunning catalogue was also produced by sponsor, the Islam Karimov Foundation. It features essays and magnificent images from Kasimbaeva's 2016 exhibition Sacrament of Magic Yarn and the 2015 exhibition The Light of Faraway Stars.
As Nodir notes in her essay "As well as creating replicas of antique pieces, Kasimbaeava periodically gives herself over to pure inspiration, when new designs and compositions pour out of her, with each new pattern in perfect harmony with the basic structure of the classic traditional designs. The rich, inner world of this craftswoman, her inexhaustible imagination and unerring taste, as well as her excellent knowledge of national culture, find expression in her striking embroidery".
Kasimbaeva teaches embroidery techniques and shares her experience with her many students, who will one day become virtuoso needlewomen in their own right".
On an Uzbek Journeys tour we visit Madina's little store in Tashkent's old city. She is also a regular exhibitor at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, scheduled for mid-July 2019. You can contact her via her Facebook page.
Below are some gorgeous images from the catalogue and exhibition.
Related posts: Sacrament of Magic Yarn
Uzbek Suzanis: Like Flowers in the Sand
Symbols in Stitches: Uzbek Suzanis
Valentino Haute Couture Meets Suzani
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| Detail of Madina Kasimbaeva's suzani |
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| Installation at the Birth of Suzani exhibition - conceived and installed by artist Bobur Ismoilov |
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| Catalogue cover of The Birth of Suzani - layout and design by Inna Sandler |
