Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Book Authority and Founder and Honorary Chairwoman of the Emirates Council for Books for Young People, in the Korean capital, Seoul, inaugurated the third edition of the creative project “Autumn with a New Vision”, which is being held this year in conjunction with the “Sharjah Guest of Honor” program at the Seoul Exhibition International Book 2023″, in cooperation between the UAE Board on Books for Young People, the Korean Board on Books for Young People, and the National Library for Children and Young People in Korea.
As part of an artistic dialogue between the Korean and Emirati cultures, a new generation of Emirati and Korean artists embarked on an exploratory journey that rediscovered the “Autumn Festival” with a new vision. The result was an art exhibition that included 10 works that express the artists’ interaction with folk tales, and turn them into paintings that are vibrant and creative.
Ahmed bin Rakad Al Ameri, CEO of the Sharjah Book Authority, attended the opening of the South Korean version of the project at the headquarters of the National Library for Children and Adolescents. And the President of the Emirates Council for Books for Young People, Marwa Al-Aqroubi, and the President of the Sharjah Institute for Heritage, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Musallam, and the head of the Sultan Ali Al-Marri Department, and the Executive Director of the Emirates Publishers Association, Rashid Al-Kous, and the President of the King Sejong Lee Hae-Young Institute, and the Director-General of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in the region, Yi Chong Yul, Director General of the National Library for Children and Youth Park Jok, heads and representatives of UAE governmental cultural bodies, and a number of the Sharjah delegation and painters participating in the exhibition.
After a series of stations from Italy to Mexico, the project seeks in its new version to promote cultural dialogue and the exchange of creative ideas between the UAE and South Korea, as five Emirati artists re-imagined Korean myths and folk tales and painted them with a new vision, while five Korean artists drew Five Emirati folk tales from a modern angle.
Arts are a universal language of communication
Marwa Al-Aqroubi said: “Since its implementation within the Sharjah World Book Capital Programme, the project (Autumn Festival with a New Vision) occupies a renewed place in every external cultural participation through which we seek to link Emirati culture with the cultures of the world. Today, on the occasion of the celebration of the Seoul International Book Fair in Sharjah, a guest of honor, The exhibition provides a valuable opportunity to enhance communication and cultural exchange between the UAE and Korea, through art, which is considered a universal language, and to introduce visitors to the exhibition from different groups to different, diverse and rich cultures, which carry with it stories and historical and folk tales that express two friendly countries, and we also hope that the project will be a source The inspiration for collaboration and innovation in the field of art and creativity continues through a series of projects that bring us together with friends in South Korea.”
Khareef from the UAE
In the details of the creations in which Korean artists drew their visions of Emirati folk and heritage stories, the artist Yoon Chuhee was inspired by her work from a traditional Emirati story entitled “The Deer Sister”, which celebrates the strength of brotherhood and highlights children’s courage and steadfastness in challenging difficulties even if their bodies are weak. To the importance of kindness in dealing with children, even if they are strangers to us. While Moon Jeongin repeated the story of “Waq Waq Island” that Emirati grandmothers used to tell their grandchildren, in an attractive narrative style, expressing the importance of taking responsibility for our actions, and enhancing children’s confidence in the decisions they make.
As for “The Owl Man”, a legendary story from the Emirati folklore, which the artist Cho Young chose to paint its events with his own vision, its events take place in the Emirati desert, and it tells the story of a woman named “Shamsa” who wishes to be with her husband Matar, but her desire contradicts the insistence of her brothers. To give birth in the original home of her family.
Among the stories inherited in the Emirates that used to spread joy and education among children, the story of “A camel without a head” stands out, which reflects the role of the camel in the lives and histories of the Emiratis, and was presented in an innovative artistic style by the Korean artist Kim Sinai. Interesting and funny, touching on comprehensive human issues such as marriage, jealousy, and independence in decision-making.
Falls from South Korea
The Emirati artists’ visions of the traditional and folk stories that they chose from the Korean culture varied in order to draw it with their eyes and depict it in the way they imagined it. love and affection. The artist, Arwa Al-Salami, painted the story of “The Unforgettable Religion of the Bird”, which was passed down from generation to generation in Korean folklore, and transferred its events to an artistic painting showing its deep themes that highlight the meanings of sacrifice and forgiveness.
And the artist, Alia Al-Awadi, starred in an artwork that tells the Korean folk story “Hongbo and Nolpo”, which teaches the reader the value of honest deeds and the consequences of crooked ways to reach fame, through two brothers who take two different paths to fame. Artist Reem Al Mazrouei created a painting that expresses the spirit of the story “Konji and Batji”, a story that carries the message of overcoming difficulties with resilience, while artist Nasser Nasrallah presented a painting that tells the story of “The Snail Bride”, inviting readers to discover and achieve goals.
The Emirates Council on Books for Young People was established in 2010 under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, and it is the national branch of the International Council on Books for Young People in the Emirates. Books for children and young people, providing access to high-quality books, and stimulating the imagination and creativity of this category.
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