A National Traditional Handicrafts Festival will take place from November 15-25 in Abu Dhabi (the UAE). Craftspeople from all over the world will take part in this event. Maysa Iklassova, a senior lecturer of the Department of Architecture and Design of S. Toraighyrov Pavlodar State University has been invited to participate in the event.

Maysa Iklassova regularly delivers creative workshops, where she teaches everyone interested in folk art the wisdom of the original Kazakh handicraft.

Maysa Kamysbayevna revives traditions of the Kazakh applied art, passing on secrets of the amazing craft to students. Having attended a few master classes, participants can make souvenirs, decor accessories and even toys for children all by themselves, a praiseworthy quality of which is the warmth of human hands.

Maysa assigns a great role to the authentic Kazakh national material, i.e. to felt, in her needlework technique. Developing the national tradition, Maysa Iklassova decorates her works with Kazakh ornaments, at the same time she often inserts new elements, combining them with techniques of other Eastern nations in a remarkable manner. Maysa is going to bring her best works to the international exhibition in Abu Dhabi.

“We will demonstrate our national handicraft and applied art in Abu Dhabi. Meanwhile, we will both present handicraft works and demonstrate the process of their making. I am sure that it will be interesting for everyone. We will see the national Near-Eastern applied art, other craftspeople and guests, in their turn, will have a chance to touch with the spirit of steppes and deep centuries-old tradition of nomads. As for me, the participation in this competition lays a double responsibility on us that is because we are going to represent not only our Priirtyshye and Pavlodar, but also the whole Kazakhstan. But I am sure that we will perform with dignity and more people will get acquainted with the art of “the Country of Great Steppes,” said Maysa Iklassova.