Central Asia
Syldyr: Astana’s first exhibition of conceptual jewellery - “Syldyr” presents the first exhibition of conceptual jewellery in Astana, Kazakhstan’s capital.
Kokand: A whirlwind craft festival - Vicki Mason shares her experience of the enveloping Uzbek hospitality and south-south connections at the International Festival of Handicrafts
The tree-bird: An alchemy of the heart - Reihane Raei creates healing jewels inspired by the mystery of Persian poetry
Latifa Zafar Attaii ✿ One Thousand Individuals - Susann Wintsch writes about Latifa Zafar Attaii's embroidered photographs that reflect the fraught identity of Hazara refugees.
From Aotearoa to Uzbekistan: New Zealand in the Zar Festival of Gold, Bukhara - Finn McCahon-Jones feels the vibe from New Zealand makers who participated in an epic celebration of opulence in Central Asia.
The Outback through Afghan eyes - Jahan Rezakhanlou writes about the painting and poetry of Hazara artist Elyas Alavi as an estuary that connects the experience of Afghan cameleers with Indigenous Australians.
Polishing: An overlooked craft - Jahan Rezakhanlou reveals the wonders of polishing in Japan, Uzbekistan and India.
Pesh boro: Epic weaving from Afghanistan - Australian-based artist Khadim Ali introduces us to his weavers in Kabul, who demonstrate a fortitude characteristic of Hazara culture.
Asif Shaikh and Aziz Murtazaev ✿ A dialogue of print and stitch - Our October laurel goes to Our October laurel goes to an eloquent collaboration between Indian embroiderer Asif Shaik and Uzbek ikat maker Aziz Murtazaev.an eloquent collaboration between Indian embroider Asif Shaik and Uzbek ikat maker Aziz Murtazaev.
The Kyrgyz yurt: Let the hearth not go out - Alymkozhoeva Kүlүm Shamievna, Issyk-Kul State Historic Cultural Reserve Museum, shares her extensive knowledge about the anatomy and rules of the yurt.
The world in a yurt - Dinara Cochunbaeva shares her learnings about Kyrgyz craft, family, culture and cosmology embodied in the yurt.
Central Asia awakes! The Festival of Handcrafters, Kokand, Uzbekistan - A festival in Uzbekistan marks the awakening of Central Asia as a driving force in the global "craft renaissance".
Shyrdak: A sunny day in Kyrgyzstan - Dinara Chochunbaeva takes us to Kyrgyzstan on a sunny spring afternoon when the shyrdak felt rugs are on display.
Five fingers full of skill: Four artisans from Tajikistan - Ikromi Nigina profiles for Tajik artisans specialising in block-printing, kundal (wall-painting), toy-making and weaving.
Quarterly Essay ✿ The long and winding Silk Road - Christina Sumner goes in search of Central Asian treasures to show the outside world.
From Samarkand to Kütahya: A Silk Road of shared skills - The story of Mehroj Bobomurokov and the benefits of skill exchange that still flourish along the old Silk Road.
Aziz Murtazaev ✿ Why I returned from London - The story of how Aziz Murtazaev left his lucrative career in London and returned to Uzbekistan, making a successful ikat workshop. .
“Forty hunar are not enough”: Craft and community in Uzbekistan - Keys to understanding Uzbek craft are "hunar", the skills a person is expected to have, and "mahalla", the local community association where people gather.
Carlier Makigawa ✿ Delirious in Uzbekistan - The Melbourne jeweller Carlier Makigawa was inspired by the Islamic architecture of Uzbekistan and produced necklaces that relfect a geometric intricacy of colour and form. Helen Britton adds her analysis of the work.
The long and winding Silk Road: My quest to uncover treasures from Central Asia - Christina Sumner helped reveal to the world the splendour of Central Asian crafts. Here she retraces her journey as she sought permission to borrow their priceless treasures.
Good news from Afghanistan: Hadya starts her own business - Roshan Safi writes about the improvements of livelihood and well-being with craft development in Afghanistan.
“If you want to know about us, examine our buildings”: A Journey through Uzbekistan - For Mary Jose, Uzbek architecture is a window onto a sublime past, reflected today in the beautiful ikat textiles of Margelan
Uzbekistan and the promise of apple trees - The glass artist Layla Walter anticipates her travel to Uzbekistan, evoking memories of a childhood garden
Why the copy of a Turkmen wedding dress is better than the original - Unintentionally, Hermann E. Rudolph breaks a sacred rule of Turkmen culture and tries to make amends.
Making wood precious in Astana, Kazakhstan - As a participant in the Sheber Festival Astana (Kazakhstan 17-18 December 2016) and Artistic Jewellery Workshop, Martina Dempf gives us a rare glimpse of the creative life of Astana, Kazakhstan.
Unexpected linkage - Sun Woong Bang describes how his work connects the ancient Celtic and Korean cultures,