Cultural Collaboration Leads to Publication of Two Legends of Uzbekistan

Chargé d'Affaires Philip Kosnett and artist Husan Sodiqov. (U.S. Embassy photo)

Artist Shavkat Muzaffar autographs a copy of the book. (U.S. Embassy photo) 

On August 6, 2013, the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent hosted members of Uzbekistan’s artistic circles, including artists, authors, teachers and journalists at a presentation of the book Two Legends of Uzbekistan. The book is the result of a collaborative project between American comics writer Paul Benjamin and two Uzbek artists, Husan Sodiqov and Shavkat Muzaffar.
Two Legends of Uzbekistan includes two legends familiar to all Uzbeks, “The Silk of Kings” (Khan Atlas) and “The Amazon Warriors of Kirk Kiz” (Kirk Kiz). The text is in Uzbek, Russian and English.
Original drawings from the book were on display at the event in addition to oil paintings, watercolors and drawings, many of which the artists created after their U.S. tour as part of an International Visitor Leadership Program in 2012. The majority of this artwork will remain on display in the Embassy for visitors to view during August as part of the U.S. Department of State’s monthly theme “preserving cultural heritage."
“We at the U.S. Embassy look forward to sharing this book with visitors as an example of how people from opposite sides of the globe can come together to create new and exciting things. We look forward to continuing this tradition of collaboration between our two countries,” Chargé d'Affaires Philip Kosnett remarked during the presentation ceremony.
Both artists are members of the Uzbekistan Academy of Arts and are winners of the “Oltin Qalam” (The Golden Pen) national contest. Paul Benjamin is a New York Times bestselling author who lived in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 2011 to 2013, where his wife served as a U.S. diplomat.

Book cover. (U.S. Embassy photo)