Exhibition of Crimean Tatar ceramics "Qalqan/Shield"
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On May 8, at 6:00 p.m. at the Mission Gallery at the state Institute for Culture of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria an exhibition by the most famous Crimean-Tatar potter, honored master of folk art of Ukraine Rustem Skybin, titled "Qalqan/Shield”, will be opened.
The project will consist of two parts: an exhibition of ceramic panels and a series of informational posters "Crimea and the Crimean Tatars".
In twelve ceramic panels are used samples of authentic historical ornaments on sabers, knives, shields, saddles and horse harness of the Crimean Tatars, which are now preserved in museums around the world.
Rustem Skybin has been working on the search for these artifacts for about 20 years, and the result is worth seeing in this new exhibition in Sofia - previously unknown and valuable examples of historical folk ornaments have been discovered and preserved, which, according to the author of the works, are a symbol of revival, resistance to injustice, preservation and continuation of life.
"In the conditions of contemporary war, when Ukraine defends itself from the enemy, who once again tries to destroy us, we protect our historical heritage with the means and form of art. We declare to the whole world that we are ready to protect and preserve our heritage, which is an indicator of our identity and worldview. The ornament on the weapons is the pinnacle of decorative and applied art, the deep semantics of the meaning of the ornament, the combination of ornaments with complex forms, the high level of craftsmanship. Metalwork – metal engraving and gem setting are the most sophisticated forms of art. For several centuries, this type of Crimean art was practically not studied. The legacy of masterpieces of our art is preserved in the world's museum collections and is unknown to the general public. This is related to the destruction, persecution and blocking by Tsarist Russia, the Soviet Union and the modern Russian Federation of the cultural heritage and identity of the indigenous population of Crimea - Crimean Tatars, Karaims and Krymchaks," says Rustem Skybin.
The artistic project was realized with the support of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Bulgaria, the State Institute for Culture of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, the NGO "El Chebier", the Lviv Museum of the History of Religion and the United Initiative "Crimean Front" .
The exhibition will continue until May 17, 2024.
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Rustem Skybin was born in Samarkand, in 1996, graduated from the Samarkand School of Arts and in the same year returned to Crimea, to his homeland after deportation. He works as a chief artist at the Tavrika ceramic enterprise in Simferopol. In 2000, he began his activity on research, revival and development of the ancient Crimean Tatar crafts, especially ceramics, with the use of the ancient Crimean Tatar ornaments.
After the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea, the ceramic artist Rustem Skybin left the peninsula and moved to Kyiv to preserve the crafts of the Crimean Tatars and the unique collection of decorative and applied arts. Since then, Rustem heads the Kyiv branch of the El Cheber association, which was once established in Crimea, which preserves and develops the cultures of the indigenous population of Crimea.
Rustem Skybin creates his own author's exclusive style of polychrome painting of Quru Isar ceramics, translated from Crimean Tatar - "dry line", working in the tradition of Crimean Tatar ornamentation. The Quru Isar style is recognized as a new global brand of Crimea and Ukraine, a new method of Crimean Tatar art.
The works of Rustem Skybin are stored in the residence of the President of the USA - the White House in Washington, in the British Parliament building in the Palace of Westminster in London, in the hall of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, in the Museum of Fine Arts of Granada in Spain , in the Palace of All Rulers in Vilnius, in the National Museum of Indonesia, in the CerModern Contemporary Art Center in Turkey, as well as in the national museums of Ukraine.