b. 1981, Tashkent, Uzbekistan

Working at the intersection of documentary, experimental cinema and visual arts, Saodat Ismailova’s powerful works reinterpret Central Asian history, ecology and the female experience, critically examining Orientalist and Soviet narratives through a decolonial and feminist lens. Educated in Tashkent and later at Fabricaand Le Fresnoy, she is now widely recognised internationally, notably as a major figure at the 2022 Venice Biennale and documenta fifteen.