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for the kyrgyz women
by Aisha Kuban, CRMS Senior
Meet the Artist
Aisha Kuban is still figuring herself out, but one thing she knows for sure is that she wants to give back to her community. Aisha is from Kyrgyzstan, a country in the heart of Central Asia. She has been traveling a lot throughout her life. Aisha has lived in three different countries and studied in numerous schools in several languages. She has an adventurous spirit and a creative mind. Aisha loves sharing her experience and culture with people. The reason she came to the United States was to get a U.S. High School diploma and to better her English skills. Currently, she is a senior at Colorado Rocky Mountain School in Carbondale, Colorado.
Aisha has spent her 2023 Senior Project designing and developing a print edition to raise awareness and funds for a social justice cause she cares deeply about. This Community Service Project is made possible by the 2022/2023 Arts in Society grant supporting cross sector arts projects addressing social justice.
Artist statement:
As I grew up, I noticed how women in Kyrgyzstan and other post-soviet countries are mistreated and held to a higher standard than men. It seemed that they only existed to cater to others. Generally, girls would grow up faster than boys, because they had more household obligations. It is expected of a woman with a career to do all of the household chores and childcare, while the same wouldn’t apply to men. There are many cases of different forms of violence against women, victim blaming, and disrespect of women in my country. The work that the Kyrgyz women do is expected and viewed as innate. In addition, their work often goes unnoticed and is minimized.
As I grew up, I noticed how women in Kyrgyzstan and other post-soviet countries are mistreated and held to a higher standard than men. It seemed that they only existed to cater to others. Generally, girls would grow up faster than boys, because they had more household obligations. It is expected of a woman with a career to do all of the household chores and childcare, while the same wouldn’t apply to men. There are many cases of different forms of violence against women, victim blaming, and disrespect of women in my country. The work that the Kyrgyz women do is expected and viewed as innate. In addition, their work often goes unnoticed and is minimized.
With the time I was given for the project, I focused on creating an illustration celebrating the women of my country incorporating traditional design elements from my culture. By recognizing that women are irreplaceable in society, I believe that they will be treated with the respect that they deserve.
There are three generations of women depicted on the front of the t-shirt, with the oldest woman leading the way to the sun, which represents a brighter future. Each of the women has cultural costumes and hairstyles that indicate their age. The other women have different types of headwear. On the back side of the t-shirt, there is a little note in Kyrgyz and its translation to English, as well as a picture of my grandma holding me as a newborn, tying back to the idea of connections and support between the generations.
There are three generations of women depicted on the front of the t-shirt, with the oldest woman leading the way to the sun, which represents a brighter future. Each of the women has cultural costumes and hairstyles that indicate their age. The other women have different types of headwear. On the back side of the t-shirt, there is a little note in Kyrgyz and its translation to English, as well as a picture of my grandma holding me as a newborn, tying back to the idea of connections and support between the generations.
Design Insiration
There are a lot of rocks thrown at women, yet there are millions of women who still push through and succeed in their way. Women in my country are strong and resilient. They are great leaders, hard-working athletes, breathtaking performers, masterful actors, smart doctors, caring mothers, protective sisters, and kind friends. You can read more about the great women of Kyrgyzstan
here.
The money raised from selling my prints
will be donated to Sezim,
a Crisis Center for women in Kyrgyzstan.
will be donated to Sezim,
a Crisis Center for women in Kyrgyzstan.
shipping or pickup available
click the pay button during checkout to process payment
click the pay button during checkout to process payment
TOTE BAGS
$25
- 100% Organic Cotton
- Artist Printed with water based inks and cured to be machine washable.
- 25" self-fabric handles
- 20" W x 14" H x 5" D
- SEDEX SMETA audited factory usine 20% Solar Power
T-SHIRTS
$35
- 100% Organic Cotton GOTS certified ONNO brand shirt.
- Made in small, family-owned partner factories.
- Comfortable fit. Not baggy, not tight. Made to Move®
- Washable however you like.
- Printed with water based inks.
- Cured to be machine washable.
ART PRINT
$15
- Editioned and signed by the artist
Limited edition goes to CSA subscribers.
Our CSA {Community Supported Art} program is growing collection of amazing designs created and hand-printed at The Project Shop. Featured artists collaborate with Shop artists to develop, produce and deiver an outstanding print edition. Artists are taught new techniques and offered the opportunity to express their voices and stretch outside their comfort zones.
And you, dear members of our community never know what goodness you will receive to share with the world. Your support allows us to empower these young, emerging and curious artists to share their voices through tangible and quality limited edition print goods.
Our CSA {Community Supported Art} program is growing collection of amazing designs created and hand-printed at The Project Shop. Featured artists collaborate with Shop artists to develop, produce and deiver an outstanding print edition. Artists are taught new techniques and offered the opportunity to express their voices and stretch outside their comfort zones.
And you, dear members of our community never know what goodness you will receive to share with the world. Your support allows us to empower these young, emerging and curious artists to share their voices through tangible and quality limited edition print goods.