Opening of the Exhibition “I Think, Therefore I Am” at the National Museum

Today, on 22 May 2026, the State Institution “National Museum” of the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan, the National Commission of the Republic of Tajikistan for UNESCO, and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan, opened a personal exhibition of works by the outstanding master of monumental art, People’s Artist of the USSR and Tajikistan, Suhrob Kurbanov, entitled “I Think, Therefore I Am”. The exhibition is dedicated to the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the State Independence of the Republic of Tajikistan.

The opening ceremony was attended by Zarifi Alisher Najmiddin, First Deputy Director of the National Museum; Odilzoda Dilbar Rahim, Deputy Chairman of the city of Dushanbe; Matlubakhon Amonzoda Sattoriyon, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan; Idibek Qalandar, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan; Rashid Olimov, former Secretary-General of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Professor at the Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan; public and state figure Sabohat Rahimzoda; as well as the artist’s daughter, Malika Kurbanova.

The event also brought together friends, relatives, and colleagues of the distinguished artist, art historians, prominent representatives of culture and literature, poets, writers, artists, members of the diplomatic corps accredited in Tajikistan, university students, staff of the National Museum, and representatives of the mass media.

Following the official speeches, the exhibition was inaugurated with a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony, after which guests visited the exhibition halls.

The exhibition presents works of painting and monumental art reflecting the major stages of the artist’s long-standing creative career. The central place in the exposition is occupied by the renowned triptych “I Think, Therefore I Am”, considered one of the most significant works of contemporary Tajik fine art. For this work, the artist was awarded the State Prize named after Abuabdullo Rudaki.

The triptych embodies the artist’s philosophical reflections on the homeland, national identity, historical memory, and the spiritual continuity of generations.

Suhrob Kurbanov is a People’s Artist of the USSR and Tajikistan, a three-time laureate of the State Prize named after A. Rudaki, a member of several prestigious international academies, and one of the most prominent representatives of fine arts in Central Asia.

For more than three decades, he headed the Union of Artists of Tajikistan and made a substantial contribution to the development of contemporary national art. He is also the author of the Coat of Arms of the city of Dushanbe and contributed to the creation of the state symbols of the Republic of Tajikistan.

The works of Suhrob Kurbanov are preserved in some of the world’s leading museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and the State Museum of Oriental Art.

The exhibition will continue until 05 June 2026.