Uzbek Journeys: Tashkent International Festival of Decorative & Applied Arts: Jewellery

uzbekistan applied arts festival jewellery, uzbekistan art craft tours, central asian art textiles small group tours

Ring & earrings from Ulughbek Holmuradov's Cotton Collection

Autumn is a wonderful time to be in Uzbekistan. The sky is blue, the many parks are golden and the choice of theatre, exhibitions and concerts is impressive.

Of special interest this autumn is the inaugural Tashkent International Festival of Decorative and Applied Arts, 6 - 11 November.

The festival takes place in six venues across the city and showcases the works, not only of artisans from each region of Uzbekistan, but also from 15 countries including Great Britain, Iran, Italy, China, Latvia, Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The event is aimed at preserving the national values and traditions of Uzbekistan, developing Uzbek art and providing the opportunity for the Uzbek creative community to exchange ideas and collaborate with foreign artisans. Uzbek Journeys plans a series of posts about this important, stimulating celebration.

At the Art Gallery of Uzbekistan (NBU), a very exciting exhibition opened, which included jewellery from Uzbekistan's most innovative contemporary jeweller, Ulughbek Holmuradov, and Iranian jewellers Maryam Tabaie and Niloofar Salehi.

Holmuradov design ring :mother-of-pearl, chalcedony, turquoise

Educated at the Tashkent institute of Architecture and Construction and later studying with master L. Avakyan, Ulughbek Holmuradov opened his studio, Holmuradov Design, in 2010.

His studio specialises in interior design, furniture and jewellery. Indeed, the coolest cafes in Tashkent *wear* his designs.

Ulughbek draws not only on traditional Central Asian forms, which he fuses with a contemporary philosophy, but he is also playfully inventive with new forms and materials.

This exhibition also featured the works of Iranian designers Maryam Tabaie and Niloofar Salehi. Maryam was born in Isfahan, the renowned, historical city of Iran, but she spent her childhood in the Netherlands.

She has a Master of Arts degree in Industrial design from Tehran Azad University and currently lives and works in Tehran. Like Ulughbek Holmuradov, she draws on traditional concepts and patterns and then reworks them into fresh, contemporary pieces.

Her work highlights the explosive, creative energy of Iran's contemporary art and design scene.

From concept to necklace - Maryam Tabaie's design

The works of these designers are drawing large crowds at the exhibition. Locals are proud of the creativity and quality of Holmuradov's work and simultaneously impressed with the glimpse of Iran's creative scene that Tabaie and Salehi's pieces provide.

Below is a selection of their stunning work. The designers are active on Instagram and Facebook:

Ulughbek Holmuradvov:
http://www.holmuradov.com/
https://www.instagram.com/holmuradov_design/
https://www.facebook.com/HolmuradovDesign/

Maryam Tabaie:
https://www.instagram.com/maryamtabaie/
https://www.facebook.com/MaryamTabaie/

Niloofar Salehi:
https://www.instagram.com/niloofar2964/