Hashim Kurban, Kazakhstan

It’s very important to Uighurs to know where your family originated. In earlier times, when you met a stranger, after saying your name, you would tell your ancestors’ city. My paternal great-grandfather was from Khotan; my maternal great-grandfather was from Kashgar. Both are important Silk Road cities in my Uighur homeland. Fascinated by the countless stories my parents told me as a child, I began painting the history of our people from my imagination. But then I visited Turfan, Kashgar, and Urumqi. The many photographs, sketches, and amazing memories that I brought home to Almaty, Kazakhstan inspired this artwork, created through the prism of my imagination. They tell the stories of Uighur life and culture, and my family.