Cristina Palmer is a CEUS alumna and former IAUNRC graduate assistant who spent the last two months teaching English at a school in Kulan, a small town in the south of Kazakhstan, not far from the Kyrgyz border. She writes about an exhibition of tratitional Kyrgyz textiles at the Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts she visited on a recent trip to Bishkek.
Alongside the paintings and sculptures in the Kyrgyz National Museum of Fine Arts in Bishkek hang some fine examples of traditional decorative arts, including felt ala kiyiz and shyrdak rugs, embroidered panels depicting scenes from daily life, and chiy hangings made by weaving together wool and lengths of reed. For a couple of weeks this fall, these were complemented by an exhibition of work by two contemporary textile artists, Kimiya Torogeldieva and Aida Baltabaeva, entitled Kurak küüsü – duet. Kurak is a Central Asian word for “patchwork,” which also has a rich tradition in this part of the world, as does its literal bedfellow, Kurama – “quilting.” A küü (or kui) is an instrumental piece that might be played on a Kyrgyz komuz or a Kazakh dombyra, and would originally have been handed down through the generations along with an accompanying narrative recalling historic or legendary people and events. Before starting to play, performers would share the story associated with a particular piece with their audience, so that the audience could follow the thread of the narrative in the music. In a similar way, the intricate pieces on display in this exhibition were accompanied by brief texts that set the scene and brought the already vivid compositions to life.
A few examples:
SYMPHONY IN COLOR
Kimiya Torogeldieva
210x110
In Eastern poetry, the color red appears as an eruption of beauty, love, and emotion. There is a reason why a red rose represents love, a carnation is symbolic of adoration, and ruby red symbolizes passion.
These contrast strongly with black, which represents mystery, power, and elegance. It is because red and black are the dominant colors in our lives, like day and night, that this kurak has such a powerful impact on the viewer.
BLESSING
Kimiya Torogeldieva
156x117, embroidery on felt, patchwork, natural fabrics
This work was inspired by the joy of becoming a grandmother when my first granddaughter, Aibiyke, was born.
A mother's love and wishes for her child come from the depths of her heart.
You cannot command the heart.
There is nothing more honest or sensitive than the heart.
Nothing is more powerful.
The unbreakable connection between mother and child is both powerful and sweet.
The parents’ blessing paves the child’s path into the future.
My blessing for Aibiyke, “Tört taraby töp, telegeyi tegiz bolsun!” (ed. literally “May the four sides align, and the cart be balanced!”), is expressed in the embroidery on felt in the center, and the butterfly wings and stars around the edges. This kurak provides protection from the evil eye and is like a charm to bring more children and wealth into the family.
CITY IN WINTER
Aida Baltabaeva
71x96
Winter has come. Yesterday evening, it was still fall outside my window as the rain tapped on the rooftops overhead. Down in the courtyard, puddles glistened in the glare of street lamps, and the bare trees looked wet, lonely, and tired. Everything seemed to be waiting for change.
Winter turns this city into a magical wonderland. Under a blanket of snow, the outlines of the houses look like the fairytale houses in the story books. I love how the light falling from the windows makes yellow patterns on the snow. The effect of the warmth of the electric light on cold snow is indescribably wonderful.
EASTERN STAR
Aida Baltabaeva
111x111
No matter how much is said or how many songs are composed about the city of Osh, my “eastern star,” it is still not enough. There are no words to adequately describe this wonderful city, its inhabitants, or the spirit that has been remarked upon by travelers through the ages. Located on the old silk routes, with Solomon’s Throne rising majestically over it, it is a special and unique place, lovingly compared to the garden of paradise by poets who wrote that any bird that ate a grain in Osh would return there even from Mecca itself.
About the artists:
Kimiya Torogeldieva specialized in weaving as a student at the Kosygin Moscow State Textile Institute in the early 1980s before working for two decades as a fabric designer. In 1999, she won 2nd place in a decorative arts competition run by the Soros Foundation in Kyrgyzstan with a kurak, at a time when few professional artists in Kyrgyzstan were using this skill, and it has remained central to her work ever since. She has been a lecturer in the Arts Faculty at Osh State University for over 20 years.
Aida Tynaibekovna Baltabaeva is the Vice-rector for International Relations, Innovation, and Investment at the Sydykov Kyrgyz-Uzbek International University in Osh. She learned how to sew and discovered the intricacies of the kurak from her maternal grandmother, whom she credits with enriching her inner world with new colors and ideas. She says: “A kurak is like a melody. When all the elements fall into place, it’s like a song that you want to sing, and the process of sewing a kurak is an entire musical composition.”
For a glimpse of the exhibition “live”, see:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0VDzMCYVBM (in Kyrgyz)