Emirati, Korean artists display their unique approaches in calligraphy, illustration and photography at Seoul Book Fair

Seoul: The Sharjah Guest of Honour pavilion at the 65th Seoul International Book Fair transformed into a vibrant hub for fostering art and creativity and cultural exchange during a series of well-attended workshops that brought together talented researchers and artists from the UAE and South Korea.

The events were designed to promote Sharjah’s overarching mission to promote cultural understanding and appreciation by offering a platform that can serve as an intellectual bridge, spark dialogue and joint artistic projects.

At the core of this endeavour lay the exploration of aesthetic commonalities across diverse artistic domains, with a particular focus on illustration, calligraphy and photography. By encouraging contemplation and dialogue surrounding these art forms, the workshops sought to uncover shared artistic expressions while offering a fertile ground for creative exchange and sharing inspiration.

The workshops were organised by Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), which oversees the Sharjah Pavilion at the fair. Through these workshops, the entity sought to offer foreign artists a taste of the fast-growing creative movement in the UAE and the Arab region, as well as to open up opportunities for creators and artists from the UAE to enrich their knowledge of another country’s artistic scene while also exchanging their expertise with creators from South Korea.

Employing heritage arts

The ‘Printing Arts’ workshop brought together artists Khalid Mezaina and Ahn Kyong Mi, who presented vivid visual examples of the intersection of images, letters and words and discussed their role in shaping artistic works that employ calligraphy, collage and photography.

Researcher Ali Al-Abdan and artist Myong Jin highlighted the powerful impact of images and visual arts in Korea and the UAE, where letters, words and images converge to become marvellous works of art. During the ‘Drawing and Calligraphy’ session, they shared their experiences on employing heritage symbols to represent their local culture in drawing and artwork, and discussed how it has been inspiring the artist’s journey of creativity, which is reflected by the various symbols that appear in their works.

Collaborative artwork

In a ‘Digital Arts Illustration’ workshop, artists Salama Al Naimi and Jo Suna joined forces to produce an illustrated book using digital art techniques.

As part of another open illustration workshop titled ‘Korean and Emirati Art’, the participating UAE delegation members and Korean artists will come together to partake in the ‘Illustrated Scrolls Book Initiative’, which will enable them to gain key insights into the distinctive features of Emirati and Korean arts.

The Sharjah Guest of Honour programme at the Seoul International Book Fair includes 33 activities throughout the event, which concludes on June 18. The diverse activities will be led by a distinguished group of writers, creators, and academics from the UAE and South Korea. The agenda includes panel discussions, literary activities, and art shows that reflect the heritage of Sharjah and the UAE.