Tajikistan

Artist: Swetlana Frank

* 1951 in Nau Tajikistan

1968-72: Studied at the Art School in Duschanbe (Capital of Tajikistan)

1972-82: Art Director at a Woman's Magazine in Duschanbe

1982-86: Graphic Artist for TV, Advertising and Womansmagazine

Exhibitions include:

Duschanbe, Tajikistan and Berlin and Memmingen

Interpretation

My bear is called Bekhrus, which in Tajiki means "The best day". The best day for a Tajik is when visitors arrive, he receives good news, a child is born or a wedding celebrated. The Tajik bear can transform every day into a day like that. He's wearing festive clothes, his colourful silk robe is full of traditional tajik needle- and patchwork. Round the hips the bear is wearing three embroidered shawls. No matter where he meets a stranger or a friend - in the field or on the street - he spreads out one of the shawls as a tablecloth, puts the second one on the ground for his guest to sit on, takes a piece of bread, a handful of dried fruit and some other nibbles from the third one and calls out, "What a day! Let's celebrate! Welcome!"

Swetlana Frank