{"id":47567,"date":"2025-06-24T16:01:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T14:01:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/?p=47567"},"modified":"2025-06-25T12:15:06","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T10:15:06","slug":"central-asia-through-the-lens-of-kamila-rustambekova","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/uzbekistan\/central-asia-through-the-lens-of-kamila-rustambekova\/","title":{"rendered":"Central Asia through the lens of&#8230; Kamila Rustambekova"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>With &#8220;Central Asia through the lens of&#8230;&#8221; Novastan presents Central Asian photographers and their work.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Kamila Rustambekova is a photographer and filmmaker based in Tashkent and Amsterdam. In her work, Kamila studies the imagery and untold stories of modern Uzbek society. For several years, she has been exploring her own family history and the communities of Uzbekistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"hp-newsletter col-span-3 lg:col-span-1 flex flex-col bg-primary-100 border-t-8 border-secondary-500 rounded-lg justify-center items-center lg:items-stretch px-6 py-6 gap-4 box-border\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"flex\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"enveloppe\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<i class=\"far fa-envelope text-5xl text-secondary-300\"><\/i>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"formulaire_nl\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"font-bold text-xl block\">The whole of Central Asia in your inbox\n<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSubscribe to our free weekly newsletter\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<form class=\"flex w-3\/4 lg:w-full\" action=\"https:\/\/us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe?u=6a15a2256d412b041fdec39e8&amp;id=d479236523\" method=\"post\" id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" target=\"_blank\" novalidate=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"flex-grow py-2 px-3 border border-primary-300 rounded-l\" type=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email\" name=\"EMAIL\" id=\"mce-EMAIL\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"bg-secondary-500 py-2 px-3 text-white rounded-r-md border border-secondary-500\" type=\"submit\" value=\"\" name=\"subscribe\">Register<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/form>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" class=\"underline text-secondary-700\">Click here for the latest issue\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><!-- newsletter -->\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hi Kamila, thank you for taking time and speaking with us. Could you please give us a quick introduction about yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I grew up with my family in Yangiyul, a small industrial city near Tashkent. I studied sciences in a lyceum and later completed a bachelor&#8217;s degree in economics in Tashkent. Currently, I live between Amsterdam and Tashkent. I&#8217;m doing a two-year master\u2019s program in filmmaking in Amsterdam. My main artistic mediums are photography and film, broadly speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"803\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-4-5-803x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47630\" style=\"width:646px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-4-5-803x1024.jpg 803w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-4-5-235x300.jpg 235w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-4-5-768x979.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-4-5.jpg 1177w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 803px) 100vw, 803px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">People working a large quantity of cotton. Photo from the series &#8216;The Home, The Field and The Flux&#8217;.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When it comes to creatives, I always think about when they made the choice to pursue it \u201cfull-time\u201d instead of placing it as a hobby. What is your relationship with creativity and was there a moment when you knew you wanted to pursue it as a career?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s really hard for me to generalise two decades of experience into a few words. I never thought of photography as the main focus of my life or as a career path. Culturally, socially, and at home, I grew up with the idea that I had to pursue a &#8216;normal job&#8217;, something stable that would allow me to make a living. While studying economics, I completed internships and was working, but after some time I felt disappointed and unsure whether I wanted to dedicate my life to that. In Tashkent, I met a lot of creative people and that shifted something in me. It made me realise that maybe I could take seriously what I naturally gravitate toward and do best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Read more on Novastan: <a href=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/uzbekistan\/central-asia-through-the-lens-of-behzod-boltayev\/\">Central Asia through the lens of&#8230; Behzod Boltayev<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>I first saw your photos on Novastan and then again on Nowness Asia. How does it feel to become more internationally recognised?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t really feel internationally recognised, I wouldn&#8217;t put it that way. But I do think that representing Uzbekistan, even indirectly, comes with a sense of responsibility, especially because voices from the region are still so underrepresented. The ethics of representation is something I think about a lot, it\u2019s complex and challenging. I don&#8217;t claim to speak for Uzbekistan as a whole, what I present is a very specific gaze, by a specific person from a specific place and time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, I&#8217;m always grateful and happy when my work gets published or exhibited, it means a lot to me. To be seen, to matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"832\" data-id=\"47623\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-9-1-1024x832.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47623\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-9-1-1024x832.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-9-1-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-9-1-768x624.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-9-1-1536x1247.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-9-1.jpg 1847w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"832\" data-id=\"47621\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-5-3-1024x832.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-5-3-1024x832.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-5-3-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-5-3-768x624.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-5-3-1536x1247.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-5-3.jpg 1846w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"819\" data-id=\"47624\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-8-3-1024x819.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-8-3-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-8-3-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-8-3-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-8-3-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-8-3.jpg 1874w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"831\" data-id=\"47620\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-6-4-1024x831.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47620\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-6-4-1024x831.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-6-4-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-6-4-768x623.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-6-4-1536x1247.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-6-4.jpg 1848w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"836\" data-id=\"47622\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-7-5-1024x836.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47622\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-7-5-1024x836.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-7-5-300x245.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-7-5-768x627.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-7-5-1536x1254.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-7-5.jpg 1837w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">A number of photos from Kamila&#8217;s project &#8216;The Home, The Field and The Flux&#8217;.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Talk to me about \u2018The Home, The Field and The Flux\u2019. You recently combined this collection from another series called \u2018Another Paris\u2019. Why did you combine the two and what does \u2018The Home, The Field and the Flux\u2019 mean to you?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This idea had been with me for a while \u2014 to combine the project on independent farming with the one about cotton picking. Both were photographed in the same visual style, with the same distance, approach, aesthetics, so bringing them together felt natural. They both are about modern agriculture practices and internal migration in Uzbekistan. Cotton pickers often travel from specific areas to the Tashkent region during harvest season, while farmers move to Farish [a mountain village in Jizzakh region] for about eight months to grow crops like melons, watermelons, tomatoes, and sometimes peanuts, peas, or sunflower seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The work is an attempt to document labor practices in Uzbekistan, and to look at how temporary communities form around this movement. It&#8217;s also about post-colonial agricultural structures, and how ideas of home shift when people live between places for much of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2018The Home, The Field and The Flux\u2019 documents adapting to land and traditions, whereas, I believe \u2018New Uzbekistan\u2019 is the evolution of culture and its intersection with traditions. What do you think of this understanding of \u2018New Uzbekistan\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For me, this project is more about pop culture, globalisation, and the broader visual and symbolic landscape of contemporary Uzbekistan. I&#8217;m asking: What are the recurring themes, patterns, small details that define this area? What images would I show to a non-human creature from another reality who\u2019s never heard of Uzbekistan? I think showing my collection would be fun, no?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s an ironic and playful attempt to portray Uzbekistan and at the same time question the official political narrative of \u201cNew Uzbekistan\u201d. I see Uzbekistan as a vast field of untold stories, since they\u2019re not always easy to find naturally. I recreate and collect everything that feels vivid, funny, and meaningful to me. These become cultural symbols for me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"624\" height=\"499\" data-id=\"47598\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-12.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47598\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-12.jpg 624w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-12-300x240.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 624px) 100vw, 624px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"834\" data-id=\"47599\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-13-1024x834.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47599\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-13-1024x834.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-13-300x244.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-13-768x625.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-13-1536x1251.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-13.jpg 1842w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"890\" data-id=\"47627\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-14-1024x890.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47627\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-14-1024x890.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-14-300x261.jpg 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-14-768x667.jpg 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-14-1536x1335.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Rustambekova-14.jpg 1726w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">Scenes from the series &#8216;New Uzbekistan&#8217;. Picture on the right: Kamila&#8217;s composition of diamong paintings.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>You say how \u201cnarratives of diamond paintings [pictures made out of numerous small coloured rhinestones, which can be assembled at home as a hobby] reflect the country\u201d. I was wondering if you could expand on why these mosaics of pop-culture represent Uzbekistan?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Narratives in diamond paintings come from global pop-culture and these paintings themselves are produced in China. But what you actually find in stores across Uzbekistan reflects what people are buying and gravitating toward here, as a mirror of local taste\/values.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I collected the most popular narratives \u2013 religious iconography, cute animals, fantasies about Paris, portraits of Leo Messi. They tell a lot about a place, not because they originate there, but because they\u2019ve been chosen, distributed, and assembled here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u201cSabrina\u201d is a beautiful collection highlighting the secure bond of family. What is your relationship with this family and what was your motivation for this collection?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I met this family during a spontaneous trip around Uzbekistan with my friends. We were just enjoying ourselves, not really knowing where we\u2019d end up next. I had always wanted to visit Farish, the birthplace of my grandfather. We made it there, and while in a taxi, the driver suggested we visit Sentob, a beautiful mountain village that had become a bit of a tourist destination. That&#8217;s where I met Sabrina and her father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They invited us to their home, introduced us to the rest of the family and we cooked lunch together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After that, we visited a few more times and stayed overnight. Gradually, my connection with Sabrina, her mother Gulnoza, younger brother Anis, and father Mashrab became deeper. Eventually, they moved to Angren, an industrial town near Tashkent. I visited them, they visited me. They met my family. I tried to be there for meaningful moments: birthdays, new years, the birth of Sabrina&#8217;s baby sister.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now Sabrina is doing her bachelor\u2019s degree in Tumen, Russia, and I&#8217;m super proud of her. She feels like a little sister to me, and her mother calls me her daughter. Through my work, I&#8217;ve been lucky to find many new homes and families, and this is one of them. The last time I visited them was especially emotional, I cried a lot, I felt so safe and loved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"681\" data-id=\"47602\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-9-1024x681.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47602\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-9-1024x681.png 1024w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-9-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-9-768x511.png 768w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-9.png 1131w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"849\" height=\"565\" data-id=\"47601\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-10.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47601\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-10.png 849w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-10-300x200.png 300w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-10-768x511.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 849px) 100vw, 849px\" \/><\/figure>\n<figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">Two photos from the project &#8216;Sabrina&#8217;.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Finally, do you have any upcoming pieces that people should know about?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m currently working on my graduation project for my masters degree. It&#8217;s a research-based work exploring girlhood in exile. I try to bring forward girls\u2019 experiences, the search for home, and the attempt to construct a new one. Part of the project takes the form of a &#8216;zine&#8217; [a small specialised magazine] built from found footage. I use images from rental listings to create an endless house tour \u2014 a continuous, imagined living space made up of countless beds, toilets, and washing machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I&#8217;m also working with 3D animation as a way to build imagined worlds. Compared to my photography practice, my film practice has always been more personal, more introspective. This project is about loneliness, solitude, isolation, lack of enjoyment, apathy, teenagehood, the exploration of sex, and the mother-daughter relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"674\" height=\"510\" src=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-NEW.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-47637\" style=\"width:738px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-NEW.png 674w, https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2025\/06\/Kamila-Rustambekova-NEW-300x227.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 674px) 100vw, 674px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A preview of what Kamila is currently working on.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Thank you Kamila Rustambekova. Where can we stay up to date on your work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can find updates on my Instagram @kamilarustambekova and website <a href=\"http:\/\/kamilarustambekova.com\">kamilarustambekova.com<\/a> \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>This conversation was edited and condensed for clarity.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right\"><strong>Written for Novastan by Lex Durham-Arnold<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<p><em>For more news and analysis from Central Asia, follow us on <a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/Novastan_Eng\">Twitter<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Novastan.org\/\">Facebook<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/telegram.me\/novastan\">Telegram<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/fondation-novastan\/\">Linkedin<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/novastanorg\/\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With &#8220;Central Asia through the lens of&#8230;&#8221; Novastan presents Central Asian photographers and their work. Kamila Rustambekova is a photographer and filmmaker based in Tashkent and Amsterdam. In her work, Kamila studies the imagery and untold stories of modern Uzbek society. For several years, she has been exploring her own family history and the communities [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2158,"featured_media":47632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4671,4669,5],"tags":[996,4074,4819,4280],"coauthors":[4851],"class_list":["post-47567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-context","category-people","category-uzbekistan","tag-art","tag-culture-society","tag-gallery","tag-photography"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2158"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47567"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47650,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47567\/revisions\/47650"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/47632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47567"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/novastan.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=47567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}