Uzbek artist Alexander Barovsky is currently exhibiting his first show in the Middle East in Dubai’s Alif Gallery. The artist spent two years living with the Mugat nomadic people in Tashkent and the rest of Central Asia and gaining their trust enough to take their pictures. The result is Gypsy Madonnas, a series of stylised lithographs depicting Mugat mothers and children. The 30 works on paper were printed with offset printing technique on aquarelle paper that was preliminary primed with green tea to give them a vintage look. All photos were hand painted with watercolours and tempera.
They give a window into life of a tribe of people that very few people have ever seen and the choice of framing with rich embroidery and colourful bed frames make them really interesting pieces.
If you haven’t been yet, you should certainly make the trip.
* Gypsy Madonnas is on show in Alif Gallery in Park Towers, DIFC until October 22. More info is on the website
