Liwan Design Studios and Labs has partnered with the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation to host a ceramics residency in Doha, the organisation announced on Tuesday. The initiative, which also involves the Qatar Fashion and Crafts Council, aims to connect local creatives with Uzbekistan’s rich ceramic heritage through a series of hands-on workshops and collaborative projects. Participants will develop pieces that merge Qatari and Uzbek artistic elements while building their skills in contemporary ceramics practices.
The residency will take place at Liwan’s Clay Lab, supported by resident Noora Al Melhim, where visiting masters from the Rahimov family will guide sessions at the potter’s wheel and glazing bench. Attendees will experiment with locally sourced Qatari clays drawn from the country’s natural landscapes, comparing them against traditional Uzbek techniques. This practical exchange is expected to foster innovation by combining forms, glazes and surface decorations from both cultures.
Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation Gayane Umerova stated that Uzbekistan’s craft traditions represent living knowledge passed across generations. “Uzbekistan’s craft traditions are living forms of knowledge, passed through generations and continually renewed. The Rakhimov family, representing the sixth and seventh generations of ceramicists, embody this continuity: preserving inherited knowledge while creating, experimenting and developing new approaches,” Umerova said. She added that the residency creates space for exchange, innovation and lasting connections through craft and contemporary design.
Liwan Design Studios and Labs forms part of Qatar Museums’ Creative Hub, a facility opened in 2022 to nurture the country’s creative professionals with specialised labs for pottery and other crafts. The current programme builds upon a five-year cooperation agreement signed in September between Qatar Museums and the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation. That accord focuses on capacity building, joint artistic projects and heritage conservation as part of the Years of Culture initiative.
The partnership coincides with the ongoing exhibition Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, which runs through November 28 and displays more than 1,000 years of Uzbek artistic traditions alongside Qatari collections. According to Qatar Museums, the exhibition features 146 objects from multiple institutions in Uzbekistan and Qatar. It serves as another pillar in deepening bilateral cultural relations.
The Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, established in 2017 under the leadership of Umerova, has collaborated with more than 40 international institutions including the Louvre and the British Museum. Foundation projects have reached over 5 million visitors across 17 countries, its records indicate. Additional initiatives include artist residencies, museum renovations and major events such as the Bukhara Biennial.
