Munira Ismailjanovna Akilova
She was born on December 3, 1978, in Leninabad (now Khujand). She received her secondary and higher education there. She earned her first bachelor’s degree in “Economics and Management” in 1999. Since 2000, she has taught economics courses at universities in the city. In 2013, she enrolled in a university program in “Design and Graphic Arts” after deciding to become a designer. She is currently a designer, the founder of the MUNIR brand, and an expert and trainer in the fields of crafts, tourism, and women’s entrepreneurship.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve loved drawing and painting… I’ve been doing embroidery since I was 10. When I was in 6th grade, my home economics teacher noticed my talent and recommended her “summer courses” to our homeroom teacher (back then, they’d take the kids to a vineyard for a week to tie up the vines or something… it was summer—community service). So, my teacher excused me from that work and asked another Russian language teacher to teach me embroidery. Back then, Chinese dresses and Chinese embroidery were all the rage. That’s how I started embroidering handkerchiefs. I gave them as gifts to teachers and relatives…). I was taught the basics and given some guidance; after that, I taught myself using books, encyclopedias, and magazines. I often went to the bookstore and the old market—I bought books, embroidery floss, and canvas, experimented, and learned. Gradually, I began to hone my skills. There was a time when I sold embroidered tablecloth sets with napkins and bedding.
In 2002, I switched to thread painting. After many years, I came to the conclusion that embroidery can be preserved longer in the form of pictures under glass. This is how my series of original embroidered paintings, created using the needle painting technique, came to life.
Everyone experiences turning points or drastic changes that force them to rethink the meaning of their lives. In 2012, I developed health problems that interrupted my teaching career. In Moscow, I was diagnosed with a condition that will be with me for the rest of my life. This news, of course, shocked everyone. I withdrew into myself. I didn’t leave the house for three months. I only embroidered. My love for embroidery brought me back to life. It was then that I decided to devote the rest of my life to my passion. It was then—not just from hearsay, but in reality—that I realized art therapy really works!
In 2013, I was invited to participate in a project to revive the embroidery traditions of the Zerafshan Valley in Tajikistan (Zerafshan Tourism Development Association). This was right around the time I decided to leave the teaching profession (I originally studied management and had taught economics at the city’s universities for over 15 years) and devote the rest of my life to my favorite pastime—embroidery. Before that, I had been practicing this craft alongside my teaching. I decided to launch my brand, “Arinumcrafts” (now MUNIR), in 2009.
Gradually, my geographical horizons expanded, and with them—the styles of embroidery, the product range, and the team. In 2013, I began working with the “Armugon” team from ARTZ—embroiderers from the Zarafshan Valley. That’s how we began reviving the “Bosma” embroidery technique, or Suzane embroidery, in the Zarafshan Valley.
Today, I am the founder of the MUNIR brand. Our mission is research, education, and production in the field of handicrafts. Our team consists of about 30 women and girls from the Sogd Region. Our brand focuses on reviving and preserving traditional embroidery; we serve as cultural ambassadors and promote social entrepreneurship. Our brand has developed a series of training programs, covering everything from product development to sales. I conduct training sessions and master classes.
I am skilled in various embroidery techniques, both traditional and non-traditional: bosma, tambour embroidery, stem stitch, herringbone stitch, backstitch, cross-stitch, French knots, and many others. In my original works, I prefer to combine different techniques. I believe that an artist can demonstrate their skill by using various techniques in a single piece. That’s why I like to mix techniques in my work.
Achievements:
2014, UNESCO Excellence Award for the “Tubeteika Set,” Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
2014, UNESCO Excellence Award for the “Markhamat” Wall Hanging, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
2019, 1st Place at the Tashkent International Handicraft Biennale, Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
2019, Best Souvenir Product, Sogd Region, Tajikistan
2022, 2nd Place in the Home Décor Category, Adras and Atlas Festival, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
2024, Best Female Entrepreneur of the Year, AMFOT, Tajikistan
2024, WCC Award of Excellence, Men’s Tyubeteika, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
2025, Best Female Entrepreneur of the Year, National Bank of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
2026, 1st place in the “Best National Brand Artisan” category, IROKI Festival, Shakhrisabz, Uzbekistan.
Research and Publications:
Textile Ornaments of the Zerafshan Valley in Tajikistan, Dushanbe, 2014.
Sogd Region: Tourism and Crafts. Volumes 1–5, 2015–2025.
Editing of the book “Suzane,” a UNIDO project, Dushanbe, 2022.
Participation in exhibitions and festivals:
2014, Oimo, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
2014, Dastakar, Delhi, India
2014, IFAM, Santa Fe, USA
2016–18, Ambiente Trade Fair, Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
2019, Las Vegas Trade Show, USA
2019, CA Forum, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
2019, Tashkent International Handicraft Biennale, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
2019, Kokand International Handicraft Festival, Kokand, Uzbekistan
2019, Artegiano in Fiera, Milan, Italy
2021, Art Bazar, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
2021, Adras and Atlas Festival, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
2021, Tashkent International Handicraft Biennale, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
2022, Creative World, Frankfurt am Main, Germany;
2023, Tashkent International Handicraft Biennale, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
2024, UNESCO, Astana, Kazakhstan
2024, Buyukcekmece, Istanbul, Turkey
2025, “Spring,” Dushanbe, Tajikistan
2025, IFAM, Santa Fe, USA
2025, Suzane Panjakent, Panjakent, Tajikistan
2026, Navruz at UNESCO, Geneva, Belgium
2026, “City of Artisans,” Dushanbe, Tajikistan
2026, “IROKI” Festival, Shakhrisabz, Uzbekistan
Organization and hosting of craft exhibitions/festivals:
2014, “Women and Mountains,” Dushanbe, Tajikistan (organizer)
2017, “Women and Mountains,” Khujand, Dushanbe, Tajikistan (organizer)
2018, “Kukhiston,” Dushanbe, Tajikistan (organizer)
2019, “Spring Fair,” Dushanbe, Tajikistan (organizer)
2022, “The Power of Art,” Dushanbe, Tajikistan (organizer)
2022, “Yagonagi,” Dushanbe, Tajikistan (organizer)
“Craft ennobles a person—it teaches patience, humility, and creativity. And those who create beauty with their own hands become kinder at heart.”
“We don’t teach people to dream of mountains of gold. We teach a craft that provides a livelihood, preserves dignity, and makes people kinder.”
https://www.facebook.com/munir.nasib.5