Rustam and Damir Usmanov with Nadia Hamid

By Nadia Hamid, IFAM Director of Artist Development

This story is shared in Nadia’s own words, bringing her journey and reflections directly to our IFAM community.

In July, after the 2025 International Folk Art Market, I had the privilege of traveling to Uzbekistan, invited by the Hunarmand Crafts Association to visit the Fergana Valley and support outreach and recruitment. Uzbekistan is a country you never forget. Its people are warm and welcoming, its monuments and food rich with beauty, and its culture deeply opulent. If you’ve ever wondered about the legacy of long-distance trade and Silk Road bazaars, this is the place to experience it.

Scenic view of Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley with agricultural fields and winding roads. — On route to Fergana Valley from Tashkent

The last time I was in Uzbekistan was in 2014. I had just graduated with a Masters in Central Asian Archaeology and was traveling to various countries in the region as part of a field work sponsored by the Hermitage Museum. On that trip, I decided to travel onwards to Kyrgyzstan instead of the Fergana Valley, and always hoped I would get another opportunity to come back. Years later, living in Santa Fe, New Mexico and now working at the International Folk Art Market, who knew I would be fortunate enough to get to know the artists who continue to live and breathe the rich cultural traditions of Uzbekistan.

I arrived in Tashkent, groggy from a long flight. As hard as it is to get out of New Mexico and reach a domestic destination, the same can be said for how deep you travel into Asia to get to Uzbekistan. My energy spiked when I landed, and I hopped into my shuttle to travel to the Fergana Valley excited to travel to a completely new region. After many hours on winding roads that follow the serpent bends of the Syr Darya river to eastern Uzbekistan, you eventually reach Fergana, one of the most fertile areas in all of Central Asia.

The winding roads and lush fields of the Fergana Valley, once a key stop along the Silk Road.

The valley is as rich in agriculture as it is in cultural heritage, having long been a stopping point for many travelers and traders across millenia. This is a land that is known as the “bread basket” of Uzbekistan, and so fertile it produces the vegetables and fruits for the rest of the country. There was evidence of it as we got closer. On the roadside, many people set up small stalls under shady trees and sell watermelons and other summer melons. It’s a delight to see the piles of fruit set up in front like colossal mountains, inviting prospective buyers on a hot summer day to bring back deliciously hydrating fruit to the rest of the family.

reen grapevines growing in the courtyard of a home in Uzbekistan’s Fergana Valley. — Grapevines in the courtyards of Fergana Valley, where agriculture and daily life are deeply intertwined.

Fergana Valley is also well known for four distinct types of crafts, some of which may be familiar to what is for sale at the IFAM Market. Margilan is known for its ikat weaving, Andijan known for its knife making and doppi (traditional Uzbek headgear) and Rishtan known for its ceramics. Part of my visit included meetings with governors in each region, as they understood IFAM is a big dream for many Uzbek artists, and perhaps one of the last outlets for artists to promote their cultural traditions to the rest of the world.

Ceramics, Ikat, painting tiles in Fergana Valley

I also visited some new artists in their homes in each of these cities, including Alisher Nazirov, and legacy artists Rustam and Damir Usmanov in Rishtan. Rustam and Damir are father and son who have participated at IFAM almost every year since 2004. It was amazing to finally see how they live and work, and how their home is integrated with their ceramic studios. Rustam and Damir are quintessential artist ambassadors to Rishtan, and produce the beautiful blue glazes that are made of natural pigments from plants procured in the surrounding areas. I learned about this amazing plant called ishkor that looks like a tumbleweed. It’s found in the mountains above the valley and used by ceramic artists to make a sheer and glassy glaze. The twigs of the plants are dipped in the glaze as well and with goat hair used to make brushes to paint the designs on each piece.

Ishkor plant dried and after being burned

My time in Fergana Valley was relatively short, and even my visit with Rustam and Damir left me wondering how much more I would learn from them if I had more time. Of course there is a sense that you will get that time on the next trip, but my track record shows that it can take a long time to return to a place, even to a country you are so fond of. Visiting any artist in their home makes you reflect in entirely different ways, and you connect with them and their practice on a much deeper level. I hope next year I see Rustam and Damir again in Santa Fe, and will understand better how they preserve their tradition and support their families while traveling their long distance to get to IFAM.

This journey reminded me of the extraordinary lengths IFAM artists travel to participate in Santa Fe. What we see at the Market is just the tip of the iceberg. Visiting Uzbekistan left me with renewed gratitude for the impact IFAM makes across the world. Next year, when you meet an artist at IFAM, take a moment to ask about their home, their practice, and their journey—you’ll be amazed at how far their stories travel.