Along the Silk Road in Uzbekistan

The journey to Uzbekistan begins south of the Aral Sea, in the ancient city of the Korasmia region. Khiva has a small but precious historical city centre made of mud, turquoise domes, and minarets. The top of the walls surrounding the city is probably the best observation point for sketching the city, which warms up at sunset.

The journey takes off again in the direction of the city of Bukhara. 450 km of steppe desert separates the two cities. We decide to cover the distance on a Soviet-era train populated by veiled babushkas who travel with us for 8 hours without air conditioning. Outside the window, the desert landscape leaves no rest, no trace of a city or a village. This is the Kyzil Kum desert, the expanse of steppe that connects three countries: Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

In Bukhara, the emerald green domes glisten in the sun, the high portals of the madrasas are decorated with blue mosaics and Koranic verses. Their symmetry makes them heavy and light at the same time.

Finally, we arrive in one of the most important cities of the Silk Road, whose very name is a fairy tale: Samarkand. The Siob bazaar, the Bibi Khanum Mosque dedicated to Tamerlane’s favourite wife, the huge Registan square: Samarkand leaves visitors spoiled for choice with painting inspirations.

I discover a curious link between the city of Samarkand and the practice of watercolour. Paper was invented in China over two thousand years ago and was made from mulberry and bamboo fibres. Shortly thereafter, the craftsmen of Samarkand discovered a way to make even thinner paper from cotton fibres. The city was long the main exporter of this high-quality paper to the West along the ancient caravan routes. I like to think that while I’m painting in watercolour on my cotton sheets, I’m paying a little homage to this ancient city and its artisans.