Stories

Taking the art of Uzbek miniature to the world

31 May 2022
ITC News

Artist Feruz Temirov from Uzbekistan creates hand-painted miniatures for the global market, selling through eBay 

Feruz Temirov is an artist and painter from Bukhara, one of Uzbekistan’s ancient cities. It was a prominent stop on the Silk Road trade route between the East and the West, and a major medieval center for Islamic theology and culture. It still contains hundreds of well-preserved mosques, madrassas, bazars and caravanserais, dating largely from the 9th to the 17th centuries.

After his graduation from the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts at Bukhara State University, Feruz decided to specialize in Uzbek miniature and teach this art major at the same university. During his academic career, Feruz opened a private gallery in the old city of Bukhara, creating miniatures and compositions on various topics: the Great Silk Road (caravan), famous scientists and travelers in history, the Tree of Life, and more. The painter uses a variety of materials, including ancient silk paper, modern Samarkand mulberry paper and brushes made of natural materials. The process of creating miniatures is complicated and time-consuming: it requires perseverance, great patience, a steady hand and keen eyesight, as well as the artist's boundless imagination. 

“It is a great achievement and a great happiness for me if the miniatures I create will please not only modern art lovers, but also future generations,” says Feruz. 

The artist has participated in international exhibitions around Europe, travelling to Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland, where he sold many miniatures. 

In 2020, Feruz Temirov joined the International Trade Centre’s European Union-funded Ready4Rade Central Asia programme that supports small businesses in e-commerce.

“Being part of the programme gave me the opportunity to learn, explore new business opportunities and discover new markets. I now know how to build an e-commerce strategy, do market research, identify potential customers and audiences, create e-commerce content, evaluate and select payment and logistics providers, and promote my business online,” says Feruz. 

He goes on to explain: “With the support of my coach and ITC’s ecomConnect experts, I learned how to operate and sell online through virtual marketplaces. Now, I can sell online from Uzbekistan using my eBay store and provide international customers with 24/7 support and service. In addition, through ITC’s partnership with DHL, we receive preferential rates for our international shipping which makes us more competitive.” 

After completing the training within Ready4Trade programme in 2022, Feruz is planning to create online stores on Amazon Handmade and Etsy next to participating in international exhibitions. 

  

About the project 

Uzbekistan is one of the five beneficiary countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan) of the Ready4Trade Central Asia project, funded by the European Union with €15 million, and implemented by ITC. The e-commerce trainings were also launched in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and include up to 200 participating small businesses. 

The Ready4Trade Central Asia project is a joint initiative of the European Union and the International Trade Centre. It aims to contribute to the overall sustainable and inclusive economic development of Central Asia by boosting intra-regional and international trade in the region. Beneficiaries of the Ready4Trade Central Asia project include governments, small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular women-led enterprises, and business support organizations.