Mother of four children, specialist of Central Asian culture, artist and photographer, I work with charitable organizations promoting tolerance through social and cultural exchanges, emphasizing on the numerous gifts and resilience of women in Central Asia.
Education
• L’École de Traduction et d’Interprétation (ÉTI) ‘School of Translation and Interpreting’ in Geneva, Switzerland, 1975-1976 (Majors: Russian, English, minors: Tchek, Chinese; Exchange with Harvard University on Russian and Chinese).
• Masters Degree in Russian language and civilization, University of Lyon, 1974.
• Masters Degree in Chinese language and civilization, University of Lyon, 1974.
Specialization in Timurid Art, Culture and History of Uzbekistan
• Co-founder and President of the “Association pour l’Art et l’Histoire Timurides” with Lucien Kehren, historian (since 1988)
• Editor of the magazine La Timuride (40 issues)
• Honorary citizen of the City of Samarkand, Award given in recognition of 30 years of cultural work and exchange for Uzbekistan, 2018
• Vice-President of the Association “Sauvegarde de la peinture d’Afrasiab” (Safeguard of the Afrasiab painting in Uzbekistan)
• Support and collaboration with NGO SABR, promoting social and economic rights of women in Uzbekistan
• ‘Chargée de Conférences’ on Central Asian Art, Musée Guimet / “Association Française pour les Amis de l’Orient”
• Lead organizer of over 50 cultural trips to Uzbekistan and Central Asia, Turkmenistan, Kirghizstan, Kazakhstan, Iran from 1988 to date
Major Publications as author and artist
• Samarkand la Magnifique, ed. Naef, Geneva, 2003, new revised edition, 2006
• L’Or Bleu de Samarkand / the Blue Gold of Samarkand, self-edited, 1997
• Ulug Beg le Prince Astronome, a biography of Ulug Beg, 1994
• Le Bleu de Samarkand (Magazine Chemins d’étoiles, Au fil des routes de la soie)
• Articles in notable journals including “GEO,” “Beaux Arts,” “Autrement,” “La Revue,” “ULTREIA,” “Voix de femmes,” “Art et civilisations de l‘Islam,” and others.
Contribution to major cultural events in Uzbekistan
• International Conferences ‘Cultural Heritage of Uzbekistan’ (2017, 2018)
• Photo Exhibits: Theatre de la ville, Paris (2014); “Regards de femmes“, Tachkent (2013); Uzbek portraits, London, for the Women’s Forum “Pearl of the East” (2013); Roanne (2013)
• International Music Festival in Samarkand, “Music during the Timurid period” (2011)
• Forum “Pearl of the East” organized by SABR and, Photo Exhibits, portraits of women in London (2009)
• Celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Timurid Association in Paris, exhibition of the artist Babur Ismailov at the Galerie Cadain, Paris, concert and poetry with the collaboration of the Uzbek Embassy (2008)
• Theatre Festival in Dijon, invitation by Francois Chattot of the actors of Diidor Studio (2008)
• Member of jury at the International Festival of Music in Samarkand (2005, 2007)
• The Timurid Association’s Jubilee in Tachkent and Samarkand (1994, 1996, 2004)
• Concerts: «Poetry and Music at the court of Timurid Princes» in particular at Théâtre de l’Odéon in Paris with the director Bahadyr Yuldashev and Monajat Yultchieva (1996)
