Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Colour – Lola Tillyaeva’s Cultural Project

 

Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva has achieved something special with this publication. Titled, Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Colour, the book isn’t merely a sumptuously presented adult colouring book but also a fascinating exploration of Uzbek history and culture. What’s more, as a 144-page, beautifully bound hardcover book packed with gorgeous colour photos, it also serves as an attractive coffee table piece. This reflects Lola Karimova’s hope that it might encourage a curiosity in Uzbekistan’s rich and varied cultural heritage among its readership.

 

The backbone of this book is the stunning array of illustrations. Spanning the full 2,000-year history of Uzbekistan, the pages are filled with architecture, murals, carvings and textiles. Arranged by theme, they offer a comprehensive taste of the diversity inherent in Uzbek culture; such as Persian, Indian, Chinese and Siberian. To contextualize each piece, every image is paired with an informative text outlining its origin and place in Uzbek culture. On the facing page the reader is offered a detailed line sketch of the same – it’s an inviting choice, either copy the original colour scheme or produce your own.

 

That Lola Tillyaeva has achieved her aim with this book is readily apparent from online reviews. For example, one parent described how it stimulated discussion with “a four-year old about the importance of the preservation of art and artefacts and learning about other cultures…” (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41093451-uzbekistan). The layout of the line sketches indicates that this was precisely Lola Tillyaeva’s intent. Where gaps or missing fragments are present in the original, so they are mirrored in the sketches.

 

This approach brings a sense of ‘authenticity’ to the work. It echoes the real-world conundrum faced by curators when faced with the question of replicating what has been lost or emphasising what remains. As a means of engaging readers, particularly the young, it has proved a singular success. One reader commented, “We have art books in the house that the children examine, but I don’t think they internalized or made as much a connection as this one did,” (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41093451-uzbekistan).

 

To anyone familiar with Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva’s other projects this marvellous publication will come as no surprise. The Droplet, unveiled in Paris in 2017, will tour several European cities. In this case, Lola Karimova’s goal is to stimulate discussion and raise awareness about the growing problem of water scarcity. A 12- meter installation of aluminium tubing, it forms a stylised droplet of water and when operational, shrouds itself in a fine vapour mist.

 

As Lola Karimova-Tillyaeva explains it, “I believe that art has an incredible capacity to inspire, encourage and unite people around a cause, due to its ability to touch the human soul,” In this way, the installation is at once an expression of Lola’s artistic sensibilities and her passion for environmental activism.

 

Thoroughly satisfying in aesthetic terms, Uzbekistan: An Experience of Cultural Treasures to Colour manages to educate even as it provides hours of relaxing artistic expression.