Ossuaries for Bukhara
Bukhara Biennial
Uzbekistan, 2025
This work was commissioned by Gayane Umerova Chairperson of the Uzbekistan Art & Cultural Development Foundation, for the inaugural Bukhara Biennial
Curated by Diana Campbell
“From an archaeological perspective, ceramic ossuaries are containers designed to hold human bones — preventing direct contact between the body and the earth, a practice aligning with ancient Zoroastrian customs. These vessels could neither be too heavy nor too small, as they were made to accommodate bones such as the femur, which can measure between 40–47 cm in length. After studying these artefacts across museums in Bukhara, Samarkand, and Nukus, as well as the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, 12 miniature ossuaries or astodans in Pahlavi, were created for Bukhara Biennial using both historical and contemporary references. They reflect on journeys of trade, access and mortality. All the ceramic artworks were moulded, glazed and fired in collaboration with Obidjon Narzullaev, a master ceramist based in Gijduvon, an hour from Bukhara.
Placed within the niches of a caravanserai where donkeys and cattle were once fed, the work’s final resting place traverses the nomadic movement along the Silk Route. As the artworks change in their colour and presence through the hours of day and night, they come together to discuss how our horse-riding ancestors were constantly adapting to the topography and resources they encountered.”