3 lectures which explore the beautiful textiles and crafts of Central Asia and show how they have transformed the life of the region.
The special interest day comprises three lectures, each exploring a textile and a road.
We examine how textiles have changed the course of Central Asian history, politics and a way of life.
We also revel in the intoxicating designs, colours, and techniques achieved with these three textiles, from breath-takingly intricate suzani embroidery and robes fit for a Shah, to world-class carpets, cheerful shyrdyk felts and diaphanous cotton, lighter than a spider’s web.
Each lecture will also be embroidered with Chris Aslan’s own experience of living and working in the region for 15 years as he attempts to justify a rather bold assertion, 'that everything is about textiles'
How to book this event:
A booking form will be sent out to all Members in early 2025
THE ARTS SOCIETY ACCREDITED LECTURER
![](https://theartssociety.org/civicrm/contact/imagefile?photo=Chris_Alexander_65b819beec8eb9884bace5efac204b58.png)
Mr Chris Aslan
Chris Aslan was born in Turkey (hence the name Aslan) and spent his childhood there and in war-torn Beirut. After school, Chris spent two years at sea before studying Media and journalism at Leicester University. He then moved to Khiva, a desert oasis in Uzbekistan, establishing a UNESCO workshop reviving fifteenth century carpet designs and embroideries, and becoming the largest non-government employer in town. He was kicked out as part of an anti-Western purge, and took a year in Cambridge to write A Carpet Ride to Khiva. Chris then spent several years in the Pamirs mountains of Tajikistan, training yak herders to comb their yaks for their cashmere-like down. Next came a couple more years in Kyrgyzstan living in the world’s largest natural walnut forest and establishing a wood-carving workshop. Since then, Chris has studied and rowed at Oxford, and is now based in Cambridge, but with plans to move to North Cyprus. When he’s not lecturing for The Arts Society, he writes. His latest book, Unravelling the Silk Road, is published by Icon Books. Chris also takes tours to Central Asia, returning whenever he can, having left a large chunk of his heart out there.
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