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| Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan |
Turquoise Mountain, an organization founded in 2006 by Rory Stewart OBE (British Member of Parliament, former Harvard University professor and best-selling author) at the request of HRH Charles, Prince of Wales, and then-president of Afghanistan HamidKarzai, has, over the past decade, revived the nation’s cultural legacy after decades of civil unrest nearly destroyed Afghanistan’s vital artistic heritage.
Dedicated to teaching a new generation of Afghan artisans in woodwork, calligraphy, ceramics, jewelry design, and other crafts, it has transformed the historic Murad Khani district of Old Kabul, from slum conditions into an internationally accredited arts training center as well as a vibrant cultural and economic center.
Together with the Arthur M.Sackler Gallery, the Turquoise Mountain Trust organized “The Turquoise Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan” exhibition. Opened last March 5, 2016, this exhibition was made possible by the support the American people have given to Turquoise Mountain through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
For the immersive exhibition, 18 Afghan artisans in the traditional crafts of jewelry making, calligraphy, carpet making, woodworking and ceramics, all of them connected to the Turquoise Mountain Institute, traveled to the Smithsonian to showcase their skills.
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| Saeeda Etebari |
The deaf Saeeda Etebari, one of the most talented young jewelers in Afghanistan, created a special piece for the exhibition’s jewelry section. The United Kingdom-based designer Pippa Small also worked with Saeeda to make a one-off piece.
Erbil Tezcan, based in NewJersey and one of the most exciting carpet designers in the world, made a beautiful Afghan history carpet that traces the evolution of Afghan carpets by weaving together more than twenty historic designs. It took a team of weavers in Dawlatabad District several months to weave the rug.
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| Erbil Tezcan |
Ustad Nasser Mansouri, one of the Islamic world’s finest woodworkers, in cooperation with engineer, Hedayat Ahmadzai, recreated part of the historic Double Column Serai, which Ustad Nasser had helped restore in 2007–09.
He also made a jali (latticework) geodesic dome, made by hand without nails or any industrial machinery, illustrating the way Afghan artisans play with traditional motifs and techniques in their strikingly original creations. Ustad Nasser also designed the large walnut jali panels we saw when we entered the exhibition.
Abdul Matin Malekzada, who
now runs his own ceramics business and teaches at the Turquoise Mountain
Institute, focused on the process of ceramic production, the different stages
needed to make a traditional bowl, and the sheer work that goes into making a
single piece. He designed a display that will show bowls in different
stages of production and includes lots of bowls on the wall.
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| Sughra Hussainy |
For the calligraphy section of this exhibition, Sughra Hussainy and two calligrapher friends illustrated what goes into recreating a 16th-century meticulously detailed manuscript, including the raw material in the making of paper, natural pigments from stones and plants, and pens from reeds or bamboo, in addition to Tazhib (or illumination), the art of drawing geometric patterns or floral motifs.
Together, they all transformed the International Gallery into a visit to Old Kabul where artisans from Murad Khani demonstrate their work and share their experiences, allowing visitors to appreciate Afghanistan’s rich culture and national pride.
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| Jali (latticework) geodesic dome |
The exhibition also includes
a caravanserai, a courtyard that served as a gathering and resting place
for Silk Road travelers. Recreated with more than three tons of
hand-carved Himalayan cedar, it includes a central pavilion and two 30-ft.
colonnaded arches and artisan stalls.
Here, visitors can sit
on toshaks (Afghan cushions) and take in pottery, jewelry and
carpets made by hand with natural dyes and wool from local sheep. There’s also
an interactive touch screen map of Afghanistan which allows visitors to explore
the history of the region and its artistic traditions. A social-media wall has
current visitor feedback and changing content.
Additional exhibition support
was provided by Dame Jillian Sackler, DBE, Justin and Hilarie Huscher, the Dr.
Mortimer and Theresa Sackler Foundation, Frank V. Sica and the Honorable
Colleen McMahon, Baron Lorne Thyssen-Bornemisza, Ben and Donna Rosen, and other
anonymous donors and generous benefactors. The exhibition ends on October 29,
2017.
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| Afghan history carpet |
Turquoise
Mountain: Artists Transforming Afghanistan: B3, S. Dillion Ripley Center, International Gallery,
Galleries L3 Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, 1050 Independence Ave., SW, Washington,
DC
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