At the crossroads of cultures
Uzbek culture was forged by incorporating the traditions of the peoples who successively occupied the territory of present-day Uzbekistan. It would be more accurate to speak of a range of cultures in the sense that each region has integrated the various influences in its own way. The first painted rocks in the region date back to primitive societies. The treasure of Amu Darya confirms the existence of an art developed in this area as early as the Bronze Age. The ritual sculptures and terracotta figurines found at the archaeological sites of Jarkutan and Molallitepa attest to the pictorial traditions established at that time.
Antiquity and Kushan art
Between the 4th century B.C. and the 4th century A.D., all the major arts experienced an exceptional flourishing. The interiors of temples, palaces and castles are adorned with magnificent paintings, sculptures and goldsmiths' pieces.
The Kushan period (between the end of the 1st and 3rd centuries AD) is characterized by its diversity. Greco-Roman deities coexisted with Buddhist traditions and the Iranian pantheon. The remains can be classified in two categories: imperial art inherited from the Iranian model and the style born of the blending of Buddhist, Greco-Roman and Indian models. The3,000 pieces in the Tashkent Museum of Fine Arts are a perfect complement to a visit to the historical sites and take you on a journey along the ancient Silk Road.Khaganat Empire
This powerful empire, established in 552, extended into Central Asia until 744, when a synthesis between Turkish and Sogdian cultures took place. The Sogdians are distinguished by their tolerance towards all the peoples with whom they came into contact. The Sogdian artistic vocabulary is logically characterized by a blessed variety. It is put at the service of heroic or cult themes, including the eternal struggle between good and evil. Palaces and castles are richly adorned with works of art. The paintings are defined by a complex composition and an abundance of colour. The unmistakable creations of this period are those of the city of Afrassiab. The exceptional mural paintings are kept on site at the Afrassiab Museum.
Islam in Central Asia
During the reign of the Timurids, two forms of pictorial expression blossomed. The monumental painting, which relates historical facts, and the small format, often stylized landscapes of a decorative type. Tamerlan's empire fell into the hands of the Muslim dynasty of the Chaybanides. Figurative images are suddenly prohibited. Paintings and sculpted reliefs are destroyed. The temple of Samarkand is ransacked and the wooden idols are burned. Monumental painting and sculpture disappeared in favour of an ornamental art inherited from the Muslim aesthetic.
The art of the miniature
The evolution of Uzbek painting reflects the singular history of this country. Muslim norms led artists to turn towards abstraction. The art of the miniature, which appeared later, benefited from two periods of splendour in the 12th and 16th centuries.
At the very beginning, these small, colourful, lacquered images played a decorative role. Then they were combined with calligraphy and embellished religious texts. Eventually, the miniature was combined with the verb to illustrate legends and poems. The miniature thus became the most typical visual art of Uzbekistan. Its great masters are Kamoliddin Behzod (16th century), Ahmad Donish (19th century) and Davlat Toshev for the present day. The latter, from the seventh generation of a line of miniaturists, became a member of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan.Modern Era
In the middle of the 19th century, easel painting and drawing from Europe were adopted. Then a second turning point occurred in the 20th century, under the influence of Russian painters. Igor Savitsky created the Nukus Art Museum, entirely dedicated to Uzbek art. Its collection starts with antiques from the Khorezm and presents splendid Russian icons alongside the second largest collection of Russian avant-garde art in the world.
The 1950s saw the birth of a school of painting and sculpture following the establishment of Russian art schools in Tashkent and Samarkand. As exchanges became easier, new currents emerged. As centuries earlier, Uzbek artists enriched their art with international contributions without giving up their particularities. Now contemporary art meets traditional art in the rooms of the Art Gallery Caravan.Nowadays
Still little-known, Uzbek photographers are dealing with tenacious prohibitions. Photographer friends, caution is the order of the day. Filmmaker Oumida Akhmedova, who is keen to photograph life in rural areas, has paid the price. But she is also the first woman documentary filmmaker to have received professional training (at the Moscow Film Institute). Amateurs will not fail to visit the Tashkent House of Photography andthe Bonum Factum Gallery
, which is dedicated to contemporary photography but also invites young painters to exhibit their work. Elyor Nematov, a participant in the third Tashkent Photobiennial, can congratulate himself on a work that is both documentary and sensitive. Among his themes: immigrant workers from Central Asia, gender equality or the children of Bukhara. Winner of the Getty Prize for Young Talent Reportage 2014, his photographs are exhibited all over the world. It would be pointless to go on a graffiti hunt. The little urban art you will encounter in Uzbekistan takes the form of official mosaics in subway stations. It should be noted that photography inside the metro is only allowed since June 2018. Likewise, expressing yourself on the walls has not yet become common practice. The Kosmonavtlar station is adorned with dreamlike portraits of cosmonauts, including Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman to travel in space. At the Pakhtakor station, a huge fluffy bouquet reminds us that Uzbekistan is one of the world's leading cotton producers. The Oybek station, named after the Uzbek poet and writer, lends its walls to illustrations of an epic poem by this author.
