Art Exhibit. "Persian Miniatures from the Silk Road"

This exhibit features the work of two contemporary artists from the ancient city of Bukhara, Uzbekistan: Feruz Temirov and Davron Toshev.

Both are reviving the classic art style: Persian miniature paintings. This art form became prominent in the 13th to 16th centuries in what was then Persia, ultimately spreading to modern-day Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, India, and others.

Feruz and Davron are reviving this almost-forgotten art from the Golden Age of Islam.

The art of intricate painting technique, folklore and fables, arabesque patterns, vibrant mineral pigment colors, and legendary Persian poetry. Their subjects are Rumi, Omar Khayyam, Avicenna, Amir Timur, Khosrow and Shirin, Hodja Nasreddin, Arabian Nights, and Yusuf and Zalaikha.

Please see 25+ miniatures in person at our closing reception on Saturday, May 31, 2025.

You can also visit the gallery during our regular business hours before the closing reception (Wed-Sat 11-7, Sun 11-5).

All artworks are available for purchase.

About Art House SF Gallery

A San Francisco art gallery on a mission to introduce more people to eclectic art from the most remote and undiscovered parts of the world. We're located in the famous Castro District - a neighborhood of freedom, acceptance, creativity and diversity.

2324 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114

Hours: Wed-Sat 11-7, Sun 11-5

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About the artist:

Feruz Temirov is an artist and painter from Bukhara, one of Uzbekistan’s ancient cities.

After graduating from the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts at Bukhara State University, Feruz decided to specialize in Uzbek miniature and teach this art major at the same university. During his academic career, Feruz opened a private gallery in the old city of Bukhara, creating miniatures and compositions on various topics: the Great Silk Road (caravan), famous scientists and travelers in history, the Tree of Life, and more.

In his work, Feruz uses ancient silk paper, modern Samarkand mulberry paper and brushes made of natural materials. The process of creating miniatures is complicated and time-consuming: it requires perseverance, great patience, a steady hand and keen eyesight, as well as the artist's boundless imagination.

“It is a great achievement and a great happiness for me if the miniatures I create will please not only modern art lovers but also future generations,” says Feruz.

The artist has participated in international exhibitions around Europe, traveling to Austria, Germany, France, Italy, and Switzerland.

Davron Toshev began painting when he was just five. In 1990, his passion led him to a studio in Tashkent where he met the artist who would change his life: Khurshid Nazirov. Nazirov introduced the young Toshev to the world of miniatures.

Davron was particularly drawn to the work of Kamal ud-Din Behzad (1450-1535) with its symbolic use of colour and neat geometry.

Like the medieval masters before him, Davron is inspired by Eastern poetry and literature, especially by the timeless themes and lively characters of the great Alisher Navoi’s famous works. Toshev’s pictures tell of lovers’ trysts, music and dance, poetry, philosophy, and the harmony we can find in nature.

“Uzbek literature is an infinite, inexhaustible source of inspiration for the world in which I live and which lives in me,” he says. “I try to visually convey the immortal verses of wisdom, love and history.”

His paintings have been exhibited in Paris, Marseille, Geneva, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and other major cities and are much sought-after by collectors and museums in Russia, France, the UK, Turkey, and the UAE.

Davron Toshev. A poet with a book. Watercolor, acrylic, gouache on handmade silk paper. 17"x14"

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Feruz Temirov. Amir Temur's Palace. Watercolor, acrylic, gouache on Samarkand silk paper. 14"x11"

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Feruz Temirov. Conference of the Birds. Watercolor, acrylic, gouache on Samarkand silk paper. 14"x11"

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Feruz Temirov. Omar Khayyam. Watercolor, acrylic, gouache on Samarkand silk paper. 14"x11"

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Feruz Temirov. One Thousand and One Nights. Watercolor, acrylic, gouache on Samarkand silk paper. 14"x11"

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Davron Toshev. Young man with a dutar. Watercolor, acrylic, gouache on handmade silk paper. 17"x14"

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Feruz Temirov. Khosrow and Shirin. Watercolor, acrylic, gouache on Samarkand silk paper. 14"x11"

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Also check out other Arts events in San Francisco, Literary Art events in San Francisco, Fine Arts events in San Francisco.