Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Contemporary design from Uzbekistan will be showcased at the upcoming London Design Biennale for the first time. The fifth edition of the prestigious international design fair will open on 5 June and is expected to attract over 40,000 ticketed visitors over its three-week run.

Uzbek design is the focus of a pavilion titled, “The Once and Future Garden,” which will exhibit suzani textiles by Madina Kasimbaeva, furniture by Tigran Erdman and Timur Parmanov, fashion by Nigora Hashimova, and glass by Ruth Shelley. The pavilion highlights the way these designers balance traditional influences with contemporary innovations in form, material, and technique.

The pavilion is inspired by the magnificent gardens that once ringed Samarkand during the reign of Amir Timur. As settings for festivities, rituals and daily activities, these imperial gardens contained a world of objects produced by highly skilled artists and artisans from across the Timurid Empire.

Showcasing contemporary Uzbek design that connects to the memory of these historic gardens, the pavilion will display pieces that incorporate and reinterpret the country’s rich artistic heritage with a contemporary sensibility.

"The London Design Biennale brings together original design perspectives from around the globe, and is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Uzbek design to an international audience. It is an honour to work collaboratively with such talented artists to present a story that intertwines an exploration of Uzbekistan’s past, present, and future,” said Phoebe Tronzo, the pavilion’s curator.

The pavilion features designers who are bringing Uzbek creativity to the world stage. Madina Kasimbaeva founded her studio, Suzani by Kasimbaeva, in 2006. Her iconic embroidery work has been exhibited internationally and is part of the permanent collection of the British Museum. Nigora Hashimova founded her eponymous fashion brand in 2013. Her striking designs have featured in fashion shows in Moscow and Milan. Tigran Erdman and Timur Parmanov are innovative furniture designers whose work has been exhibited in Paris and at the prestigious Salone del Mobile in Milan.

“Representing Uzbekistan at the London Design Biennale is a meaningful opportunity to both share our heritage and challenge perceptions. Uzbek design today is thoughtful, bold, and alive, and it deserves to be part of the global conversation,” said Alsu Akhmetzyanova, assistant curator of the pavilion.

The pavilion is designed around an octagonal structure which references the open-air pavilions that stood at the centre of Timurid gardens. The exhibition design was undertaken by NAAW, an award-winning women-led architecture studio based in Almaty.

The pavilion is being organised by Uzbek strategic communications company DNA as part of the company’s fifth anniversary celebrations. With offices in Tashkent and London, DNA commissioned the pavilion to support the further development of British-Uzbek cultural exchange.

Also featured in the pavilion is celebrated glass artist Ruth Shelley. Shelley traveled from her native United Kingdom to Uzbekistan in 2023 to visit artisans across the country. This experience led her to create a collection of glass vessels inspired by the carpets in Timurid-era miniature paintings—an example of how Uzbek design motifs are influencing the work of international artists.

The pavilion sponsors include Sturgeon Capital, Sturgeon Foundation, SUEZ, and Porsche Uzbekistan. Additional financial support was provided by DNA co-founder Esfandyar Batmanghelidj and prominent Uzbek entrepreneur Zafar Khashimov.

The London Design Biennale will feature over 40 pavilions, including entries from Argentina, Azerbaijan, Chile, Poland, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, among other countries, regions, and institutions. The biennale is held at the historic Somerset House, a major cultural centre on the banks of the River Thames in the heart of central London.