11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Palak suzani 2016–21 (installation view, Art Museum RIGA BOURSE, Latvia 2024) / Image courtesy: The Latvian National Museum of Art / Art Museum RIGA BOURSE / Photograph: Oksana Mizgajeva NOTES 1 Palak is said to come from the Arabic word ‘falak’ (sky or firmament). While Uzbek is a Turkic language, its vocabulary and grammar were influenced by the Persian language and include many Arabic words. 2 In 2019, Kasimbaeva was awarded the Shukrat medal by the Government of Uzbekistan for her services to Uzbek culture; see Binafsha Nodir, ‘Suzani: A story of an embroiderer’, Art Museum RIGA BOURSE , March 2024, <lnmm.lv/en/art-museum-riga- bourse/exhibitions/suzani-a-story-of-an- embroiderer-523>, viewed April 2024. 3 In 2022, the artist created a special suzani for Uzbek filmmaker Saodat Ismailova (who is also featured in the 11th Asia Pacific Triennial), as part of the latter’s representation in Cecilia Alemani’s ‘The Milk of Dreams’ exhibition for the 2022 Venice Biennale. In 2024, Kasimbaeva contributed to the Qizlar collective’s work in the Uzbekistan Pavilion at the 60th La Biennale di Venezia. ‘Palak’, or ‘palyak’, means firmament in the Uzbek language, and Madina Kasimbaeva’s vast Palak suzani 2016–21 resembles a sky full of suns, stars and planets, all whirling together in mysterious, but precise, arrangements. 1 Epic in scale at eight metres long, its colours are deep and vibrant, with red, yellow and blue silks detailing each shape. Botanic motifs also abound — often within the astrological symbols — with stylised cyprus trees forming the spikes of stars, while pomegranates, vines and flowers disrupt the ordered patterns of circles, and the shapes of sinuous serpents, regarded as protectors or spiritual guides, are also found throughout. This style of suzani (needlework) is distinct to the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan. Suzani — from the Farsi word ‘suzan’, meaning needle — is an art form characteristic of the rich cultures of Central Asia, appearing in different iterations in Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. During the Soviet era (1917–91), ancestral crafts were banned due to their association with ritual and religion, and the practice of suzani had largely disappeared by the 1980s. While other styles were revived in the early 2000s, Kasimbaeva is the only artist in Uzbekistan who is proficient in the more complex Tashkent style, while also innovating in scale and complexity of design. In the early 2000s, Kasimbaeva began to research the varied embroidery traditions in the Uzbek provinces. Then, in 2008, inspired by her passion for the art form, she took out a microcredit loan to establish a workshop. She has since trained over 500 women in suzani embroidery and currently employs around 150 artisans across the country. 2 Meticulous in following age-old methods, Kasimbaeva creates her own dyes from natural ingredients, such as nutshells, saffron, onion peel, indigo and salt, to colour her raw silk thread. She draws a pattern on a backing cloth, and over a period of several months, completes the suzani by hand using the embroidery needle. Often several embroiderers will collaborate on a piece, a practice that Uzbek women have undertaken for generations. The motifs in Palak suzani are associated specifically with women, and are derived from the ancient Persian religion of Zoroastrianism and its cosmological symbols, which were once fundamental to agricultural and nomadic communities. These symbols were considered important protections for newlyweds, granting both fertility and healthy children. Mothers would begin creating suzani immediately following a daughter’s birth, as a dowry, and the textiles would later be displayed in prominent positions in the bride’s new home. On a smaller scale, these embroideries focus on one astrological motif that then dominates the composition; for example, an oï or aï palak signifies the moon, while a yulduz palak represents the stars. Other iconographies reflect the cultural melting pot of Tashkent, a former Silk Road centre, and refer to flowering gardens often seen in Persian miniatures. Pomegranate seeds symbolise fecundity and are associated with wedding rituals; the almond-shaped botum motif signifies abundance; the chilli pepper pattern is said to protect against the evil eye; and the ewer represents the life- sustaining nature of water. The colours of Palak suzani are also significant, with the dominant deep shades of red denoting sun- or fire-worship, indicating its pre-Islamic origins. Madina Kasimbaeva’s work combines the folkloric beliefs, myths and symbolism of Uzbekistan’s ancient, pre-Islamic history with contemporary innovations. 3 Through her tireless passion and dedication, Kasimbaeva continues to inspire younger generations of embroiderers to keep the art form — and the knowledge of the ancient beliefs it embodies — alive. ABIGAIL BERNAL BORN 1981, TASHKENT, UZBEKISTAN LIVES+WORKS INTASHKENT MADINAKASIMBAEVA ARTISTS+PROJECTS ASIAPACIFICTRIENNIAL 118 — 119