Kyrgystan Artists

Artist-in-Residence Program

This residency showcased the practices of the Kyrgyz Republic, an independent country located in the heart of Central Asia neighbouring Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China. The Kyrgyz people are one of the ancient people of Central Asia with rich traditional arts and crafts. UNESCO has safeguarded Kyrgyz traditional felt carpets as an ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’, and this residency in August 2018 highlighted the practices of master felt makers and textile artists.

The residency culminated in a fashion parade with Box Hill Senior Secondary Fashion and Textile students and Master of Teaching candidates in Secondary Art and Design. Throughout the residency studioFive exhibited the work of Kyrgyz Photographer, Urmat Osmoev.

Residency workshops for students at The Faculty of Education and Monash University focused on:

• Traditional felt toys and amulets, with designer Aidai Chochunbaeva.
• Ethnic dolls of felt, with designer Erkebu Djumagulova
• Ala-kiyiz, Kyrgyz traditional felt carpets, with designer Aidai Chochunbaeva
• Kyrgyz textile jewellery, with fashion designer Tatiana Vorotnikova
• The “nuna felt” scarf making, with designer Kadyrkul Sharshembieva
• Eco-prints on felt, with designer Iniskhan Turgankazieva.