Azizbek Murtazayev

Azizbek Murtazayev leads Marikat, a cooperative of independent ikat masters, dyers and weavers dedicated to the preservation of traditional craftsmanship and cultural values, and their transfer to the next generation. Born in Margilan, in the Fergana Valley, he works with what the valley grows and yields - madder root, pomegranate rind, walnut shell, indigo - steeping silk thread until it takes the exact red, or brown, or blue he is after. Azizbek’s work carries the UNESCO Seal of Excellence for Handicraft Products.