Natalya Andakulova, founder and owner of Andakulova Gallery, was born and raised in Uzbekistan. After the studies of Physics and Information Technology in Samarkand Institute, Natalya’s passion for contemporary art motivated her to change her career path and to enroll on a painting course at the Republican College of Art in Tashkent. As Andakulova’s interest in art took off, at first she began focusing on private art dealing in her native Uzbekistan and about five years ago she branched into the international scene, and in 2012 opened her commercial art gallery in Dubai based on a growing interest in UAE towards Central Asia region motivated by a cultural and historic context through the legendary Silk Road and shared Islamic traditions.

Andakulova Gallery is a platform for contemporary art from Central Asia with its current focus on Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Gallery’s goal is to cultivate the dialogue between the Central Asia and the Middle East by positioning art of Central Asia into artistic hub of UAE. Currently the gallery represents a roster of over twenty emerging and established contemporary artists and is known for its well curated exhibitions program and diverse educational program. Gallery actively collaborates on projects in partnership with Tashkent Biennale 2016, and also works with The Big Picture, an independent art platform from Dubai, to organize and curate their annual exhibition for artists and cultural practitioners from the Middle East. In October 2015, Andakulova Gallery and Abu Dhabi Art Hub launched their joint project – Central Asia Month. The residency program and the exhibition at Art Hub helped to shed more light on the exceptionally vibrant contemporary artists from Central Asia. Whilst art from Central Asia form a crucial part of the focus, the gallery is committed towards promoting exciting new talent from UAE.