In October 2023, American artist Negar Ahkami traveled to Uzbekistan as part of an Art in Embassies Democracy Collection artist exchange to speak about her art and experience while learning from Uzbek artists. Over the course of the program, she discussed Persian and Western painting, spoke with local news outlets, met with students at the art institute, and talked with local artists, among other activities in multiple cities.
Ahkami’s trip started in Bukhara, an ancient Islamic city in central Uzbekistan that was once a prominent stop on the Silk Road. Here, she visited the Bukhara School of Miniature Painting and met with its founder, Davlat Toshev. Ahkami’s work draws inspiration from classical miniature painting and Iran’s architectural tiles, something she was able to use to connect with students during her talk the next day at Bukhara State University. “I wanted to show how an artist can pay tribute to aspects of one’s traditions (in my case, Persian art influences which really resonate in Uzbekistan) while being inventive and forming new languages, and while taking permissions from other global art histories and popular culture.” While in town, Ahkami also visited the Bukhara Synagogue and spoke with the Bukhara News.
In Tashkent, Ahkami toured the National Institute of Art and Design and held an artist talk with students and staff. Afterwards, she met with local artists at 139 Documentary Center, a community platform and public space for artists, activists, and researchers. The next day at the American Center in Tashkent, Ahkami participated in a “Chai Chat,” part of a regular series hosted by the Embassy, to discuss her work, inspirations, and how she makes her living as an artist, for an audience of Uzbek youth. “I believe the greatest gift that I gave others in Uzbekistan was permission: to be a little more free, more personal and passionate in their creativity, more bold, more truthful about one’s authentic thoughts and experiences… While the practical information I shared was of value, these permissions can have a deeper impact.”Read More
– Negar Ahkami –
