Children Of Ancient Bukhara Reach Vermont With Their Craft

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During my recent visit to a neighboring state, beautiful Vermont, I stopped by a festival that some of my friends who live in Vermont considered being an event that should not be missed.

The Vermont International Festival is a multi-cultural community event sponsored by the Vermont Performing Arts League. VPAL is a non-profit organization that has been active in the promotion of international music, and crafts since 1978.

VPAL’s roots started with the formation of The Green Mountain Volunteers and Vermont FolKids, two projects that have fostered friendship and cultural understanding through the arts between Vermont and people from around the world. The Festival included a show with international clothes, concerts, dance and music, workshops and international foods and crafts from countries such as India, Nepal, Poland, Scotland, Turkey, Russia, Greece, Ireland, Yugoslavia, Nigeria, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Canada, and Uzbekistan.

The minute I saw “Uzbekistan” on the poster, I knew that I had to check out the arts presented by masters from the native land of my ancestors. As I approached several stalls designated for representatives of Uzbekistan, familiar objects drew my attention. “Suzani”s - large and mesmerizingly embroidered wall decorations, were hung around the stalls, and their patterns reminded me of suzanis that my grandma used to hang on the walls in her house in Bukhara. That scene took me all the way back to my childhood and happy days spent in my grandparents’ house.

Thus, I decided to meet and get to know the artists who created those beautiful pieces. Ironically, those pieces that reminded me of my grandma were indeed created by Bukharian artists. Their names are Zilola Ashurova and Sukhrob Ziyadulloev. Zilola Ashurova’s large wall-hanging that depicts the story from masterpiece book “Boburnoma” was the center of attention between the visitors because of its fine details. Meanwhile, Sukhrob Ziyadulloev’s cushion covers had exquisite patterns and rainbow of colors, and visitors could not pass by them easily, either.

During our long conversation, I found out that even though the two artists have differences in the style of embroidering, they both share the dedication to the traditional Bukharian hand-embroidery from their early ages.

Zilola Ashurova is an embroiderer acclaimed for her extraordinary work and contribution to Uzbek applied arts traditions. Growing up in Uzbekistan, Zilola Ashurova was only six when she used to observe her mother, aunts, and grandmother working on complex Uzbek needlecraft projects. The process of smaller Suzani pieces evolving into larger stunning works of art captured Zilola’s imagination. Noticing her curiosity, her mom gave Ashurova small pieces to work on. The young girl was hooked. Ashurova is committed to the craft of Suzani, which, for centuries, has been a way of chronicling history too. “Native handcrafts tell us everything about the history, culture, traditions, even the future of the particular nation,” she says. The motifs used in these works of art can be traced to the slow evolution of the handicraft in Central Asia. Ashurova has set up a business, Great Silk Road Craft, to sell her handcrafted works of Suzani at area art fairs. She is looking forward to getting to know fellow artisans in the region and spreading word about her native handicrafts far and wide.

Sukhrob Ziyadulloev comes from a family where the grandmother on the maternal line instilled her professional embroidery traditions in him, as he was the only grandchild who showed interest in the art. He grew up to be a master embroiderer, became a member of the “Hunarmand” Association of Craftsmen of Uzbekistan, received several national-level prizes for his work, and opened a professional workshop in Bukhara’s Old City. It’s been four years since Sukhrob moved to the States, but he has not ceased practicing and improving his art. While embroidering at home, he not only sells his amazing embroidery online around the world but also spends a lot of time participating in art exhibitions and craft fairs. Sukhrob is planning on opening an arts and crafts studio in Minnesota, the state where he resides. He wants to teach his art to anyone who is interested in learning this incredible tradition.

Attending such a fascinating festival, experiencing traditions from around the world, meeting two extremely talented artists from the land of my ancestors and learning their history. How else could I wish to spend a weekend in chilly November? I wish Zilola and Sukhrob great luck in fulfilling their dreams and hope to see them again in next year’s annual Vermont International Festival.