Location: Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Berlin

Occasion: Women in Business & Society conference: Women entrepreneurs from Uzbekistan and Germany in dialogue

Curator: Zukhra Rakhmatova

Artists: Sharifa Sharafkhodjaeva, Diyor Razikov, Nuriddin Rasulov

Project description:

This exhibition was the starting point for the founding of the San’at Association – Forum for Art, Culture and Science. It featured rescued works by contemporary Uzbek artists that had been lost in Europe during the pandemic and were found and preserved by art historian and curator Zukhra Rakhmatova during a search lasting several weeks.

The presentation at the Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Berlin symbolised the ‘return of art to its homeland’ and marked the public launch of the association. The conference not only saw the opening of the exhibition, but also the official announcement of the founding of San’at.

As a cultural bridge between Germany and Uzbekistan, San’at played an active role in shaping the evening’s programme. In cooperation with the Primo Piano Music School, a musical contribution was integrated into the official programme, featuring selected classical compositions. The artistic framework enriched the conference and created a lively space for intercultural exchange between entrepreneurs, cultural professionals and guests from both countries. The event impressively demonstrated how art connects people and facilitates dialogue.

More Information:

Location: Embassy of the Republic of Uzbekistan in Berlin

Date: 18/02/2026

Occasion: 585th anniversary of Alisher Navoi and the 543rd birthday of Zahiriddin Muhammad Bobur

Curator: Zukhra Rakhmatova

Artists: Avazbek Qodirov, Zilola Sulaymonova, Shohrux Butayev, Sabrina Jonibekova, Olim Omonov, Ibrat Fayzullaev

The exhibition “A legacy spanning centuries – Uzbek miniature art”, presented by San’at – Forum for Art, Culture and Science e.V. on the occasion of the 585th anniversary of Alisher Navoi and the 543rd birthday of Zahiriddin Muhammad Bobur, showcases contemporary approaches to miniature painting from Uzbekistan and explores their roots in a centuries-old visual and literary tradition of Central Asia. At its core is the question of how a classical art form is redefined within the tension between historical heritage and contemporary artistic practice.

The exhibition draws on the literary legacy of Alisher Navoi and Zahiriddin Muhammad Babur, whose works have been among the most important sources for miniature painting in Central Asia since the 15th century. Their poetry not only shaped the region’s literary culture, but also a rich visual language in which ethics, spirituality, nature and social life are interwoven.

A central part of the exhibition is dedicated to contemporary miniatures inspired by scenes from Navoi’s Khamsa—one of the most significant poetic cycles in the Turkic languages and thus a foundational work of the Uzbek literary tradition. These works build on the historical practice of calligraphy and translate its narrative pictorial logic into the present.

In addition, the exhibition features miniatures depicting traditional teahouses, bazaars, music and social encounters. These motifs visualise social structures and shared spaces of experience, making visible how the cultural identity of the Uzbek people takes shape and is preserved in images.

Ambassador Dilshod Akhatov at the opening of the exhibition

Miniature painting flourished from the 14th to the 16th century, especially during the Timurid period. It developed a distinct visual language based on a flat perspective without shadows or depth, beyond Western systems of perspective. Space, time and action are not rendered illusionistically, but are organised simultaneously and symbolically. Colour, ornament and composition serve not naturalistic depiction, but the communication of spiritual content, narrative condensation and aesthetic order.

The works presented are by teachers and graduates of two key training institutions for Uzbek miniature art: the “Miniature and Book Graphics” department of the National Institute of Art and Design named after Kamoliddin Behzod, and the Republic specialised art school for lacquer miniature named after Pavel Benkov. The selection of artists highlights how artistic principles are passed on across generations, while also showcasing individual contemporary signatures within a shared tradition.

The exhibition invites visitors to explore miniature painting not only as a historical artefact, but also as a living visual language—an art form that brings literature, history and the present together within a condensed pictorial space.