Traditional textile artist establishes a modern Kyrgyz identity - Taberik

⁣Textile designer and felt-maker Aidai Asangulova sees her art as bridging the gap between the old and new, establishing a modern Kyrgyz identity that is firmly rooted in the cultural history of her community and their land. As the granddaughter of a well-known felt carpet-maker from the village of Kyzyl-Tuu and the daughter of a yurt-maker, Asangulova grew up surrounded by rich expressions of an imaginative universe realised through centuries-old nomadic traditions.

In a bid to preserve these crafts and expand this universe, the artist later developed a unique stitchless hand-rolling technique that allows artisans to achieve intricate patterns. Today, Asangulova works with women artisans who use this technique to fuse soft silk and organic wool from high mountain pastures. Her Bishkek-based textile brand AIDAI Designs and her organisation Studio Bukon are at the forefront of the movement to revive traditional Kyrgyz arts which were suppressed during the Soviet Union’s of the region. The artist also interviews elders around Kyrgyzstan to record memories of rituals and traditions within a modern context.

Documentary filmmaker Aibek Baiymbetov has known Asangulova for 10 years. In particular, he was interested in capturing the beauty and diversity of her Kiyiz Duino project which preserves and develops traditional Kyrgyz clothing-based crafts.

Taberik was shot in a pasture in At-Bashy district, Naryn, during a festival hosted by Asangulova’s team to celebrate the folk arts and reaffirm the connection to nomadic cultural roots. The film showcases the daily joys and routines of the community of women and children from different regions participating in the festival. The film also showcases the interiors of traditional yurts specially set up for this festival, where participants live for several weeks...