Kazakh Artisans Highlight Cultural Heritage at Berlin Bazaar
Kazakh Craftspeople Showcase Traditional Art and Culture at Berlin Bazaar
From November 8th to 12th, Kazakh craftspeople participated in the Berlin Bazaar, the world’s largest international fair, to showcase and promote Kazakh tourism through traditional arts and crafts. The Kazakh pavilion featured a diverse array of handmade crafts, natural products, and items such as woodcraft, textiles, leather goods, and jewelry.
Visitors to the pavilion showed keen interest in the unique offerings, which included an improvised yurt and video screens highlighting tourism in Kazakhstan. According to Irina Kharitonova, a spokesperson for Kazakh Tourism, the pavilion attracted significant attention, with many visitors inquiring about tourism, key attractions, resorts, and expressing particular interest in felt and jewelry products.
Ainur Polatova, the founder of the Talapai project dedicated to promoting national board games, expressed enthusiasm for the interest among foreigners in Kazakh culture and national values. She also highlighted the potential for future sales resulting from the exhibition.
The Kazakh pavilion also featured the works of artists such as Adelcheid Kisselyova, who presented entomological leather jewelry in the shape of butterflies. Additionally, the unique works of artist Assol, featuring paintings on carpets, paid tribute to notable women of Kazakhstan, showcasing proud figures such as the Saka queen Tomiris, Gaukhar-batyr, Bopai-khanym, Rabia Sultan, and the mythical Zher-Ana.
One of the highlights of the fair was the invitation received by tapestry and jewelry artist Serzhan Bashirov from an art gallery in Berlin to exhibit his works. Martina Dempf, the owner of the art gallery, praised Bashirov’s creations and expressed joy at witnessing the Kazakh stand featuring a wonderful selection of items such as carpets, jewelry, clothes, and others.
The participation of Kazakh craftspeople at the Berlin Bazaar not only showcased the rich cultural heritage of Kazakhstan but also provided a platform to promote tourism through traditional arts and crafts. The enthusiastic response from visitors, as well as the opportunities arising from the exhibition, bode well for the continued promotion of Kazakh art and culture on the international stage.
