Abdul Ghafoor Khudaybirdi, originally from Turkmenistan, has been living in Pakistan since the 1980s.

His passion for cultural artefacts led him to open Pak-Turk Enterprises where he sells restored antique furniture as well as original pieces based on traditional designs from all over Pakistan. Each piece at his showroom is a unique piece of art. Dawn spoke to him about his passion for ‘cultural art’.

Q. How did you become interested in cultural art?

A. When I was young, I was interested in the culture and history of the Central and South Asian region. Once, this region included Turkistan and Hindustan and today consists of number of nation states. It includes areas that are now Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.

This is a region of rich cultural diversity and as I began studying it, I found colour and art everywhere. In these areas, people were traditionally sheep, camel and horse breeders. So they used wool to weave beautiful materials.

In Central Asia, traditional hand-woven materials are used to make kilims (woven rugs), saddle bags, carpets and prayer rugs which are very ornate and colourful. This region is also home to several tribes and each tribe has its own unique art forms and motifs. There are countless types of colourful embroidery, painting and printing techniques.

When I came to Pakistan in the 1980s, I saw that each region had its own cultural art. Sindh has one of the oldest traditions of cotton dyeing and block printing. In Balochistan, fil-pa rugs are woven which are so rich in colour and design. Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have a centuries-old tradition of woodwork with intricate carvings. So I decided to preserve these traditional art forms through recreation and restoration.

Q. Was there a demand for restored furniture when you started out?

A. I was drawn to the idea of finding an old, discarded piece of furniture and restoring it because I know someone once made it with love. In 2007, I opened my showroom Pak-Turk with two labourers and one carpenter. Since then my business has only grown and I now have two large workshops outside Islamabad. The turnover rate is very high so visitors always find new designs here.

I try to keep prices affordable because I want to sell to the Pakistani market. I could easily export my furniture, but I want to return Pakistan’s own cultural heritage to its people and preserve it for future generations.

Q. How do you choose which pieces to stock?

A. Most of the pieces at this showroom are restored antiques, copies of antique pieces or new designs which incorporate traditional art forms. I design all the pieces myself. In the beginning, I would travel across the country in search of antique furniture. Now I have contacts, in various places, who send me pieces they find. But they are only allowed to buy from second hand furniture sellers, not from homes as I am not interested in things which are in use.

I am able to tell how old something is by looking at its design and material.

The designs change every fifty years or so and one is able to tell which century a piece of furniture is from, by its design. The oldest piece I found was a 500-year-old cupboard from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One usually finds these pieces in remote places in the mountains and it’s a great pleasure finding them.

Published in Dawn March 5th , 2015

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