Uzbekistan

Artist: Thomas Bartel

* 1963 in Brandenburg, Germany

1990-93: Wredowsche School of Drawing

Exhibitions include:

Since 1990: Berlin, Brandenburg, Kaiserslautern, Münster, Frankfurt/Oder

2001: Personal Exhibition "Also sprach Zarathustra", Art Academy, Taschkent, Usbekistan.

Interpretation

The design of the bear draws upon ancient traditions and a growing self-confidence in the still young Republic.

The traditional clothing of the Uzbek bear, like headgear, coat, scarf for the belt and boots, are all decorated with oriental ornamentation.

Looking closer, one sees the symbols native to the land. The blue on the paws should remind the viewer of the many blue ceramic domes of sacral monuments and buildings in cities like Samarkand, Buchara and Chiva.

Like a fairy tale out of "The Arabian Nights", the minarets loom up in the distant steppe. The boots are a golden yellow, like the sand on the plains; the bear's collar is adorned with a band of white clouds, the way they are found in the mountain areas of Uzbekistan, around the snow covered peaks of the 5000 meter high mountains.

The sacred flame of Zoroastrianism (one of the oldest monotheistic religions in the world) is seen burning from out of the sleeves. The seam of the coat shows the national flag of the new, independent Uzbekistan; blue, white, green all appear in the design of the bear over and over again. As a sign of friendship, the bear is offering the head scarf worn by people in this country.

Thomas Bartel

Sponsor: Daimler AG, Mercedes-Benz Niederlassung Berlin