**Summary: Traditional Syrian Glassblowing—Damascus Craft at Risk**

**History and Features:**
Syria is widely regarded as one of the birthplaces of the glassblowing technique, with historical roots reaching back over two millennia.

The craft is particularly associated with the ancient city of Damascus, where artisans developed and refined glassblowing methods beginning in Roman times.

Syrian glassblowing is known for its unique hand-formed shapes, vibrant colors, delicate textures, and sometimes intricate decorative patterns.

While styles have evolved, traditional glassblowing in Damascus often features recycled glass, locally-sourced materials, and time-honored tools.

Classic items produced include lamps, bottles, drinking glasses, and ornamental objects.

**Cultural Significance:**
The craft holds a significant place in Syria’s cultural identity, symbolizing the country’s history of creativity, hospitality, and artisanal skill.

Traditional Damascus glassware is commonly found in Syrian homes and markets, and glassblowing workshops historically functioned as important centers of community and heritage transmission, with skills passed down from master to apprentice across generations.

**Current Status:**
Traditional glassblowing in Syria is under serious threat.

Due to the impact of prolonged conflict, destruction of workshops (especially in cities like Damascus and Aleppo), loss of skilled artisans, scarcity and expense of materials, and shifting economic priorities, the number of craftsmen still practicing the authentic method has collapsed.

Recent reports indicate as few as a handful of master glassblowers remain active, and their workshops face constant risk from unstable conditions and competition from mass-produced glassware.

**UNESCO’s Urgent Safeguarding:**
UNESCO added “The craft skills and culture of handmade glass in Damascus” to its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2023.

The decision underscores the immediate risks: the possible extinction of a craft with deep historical roots, the rupturing of community and family skills transmission, and the loss of a symbol of Syrian identity and resilience.

The listing aims to galvanize preservation efforts locally and internationally, including supporting artisan livelihoods, documentation of know-how, and raising public awareness about the craft’s unique value.

UNESCO’s intervention is a call to action to safeguard not just objects, but a living tradition.

**Conclusion:**
Traditional Syrian glassblowing, especially as practiced in Damascus, is an irreplaceable cultural treasure that stands at a perilous crossroads.

Its survival depends on active efforts to support artisans, protect workshop spaces, and pass along skills to new generations.

Recognizing and supporting this craft is vital to safeguarding Syria’s cultural heritage and human creativity.

**Summary Report: Traditional Glassblowing in Syria**

**Historical Background and Features**
Syria, particularly the city of Damascus, is renowned for its ancient glassblowing tradition.

Glassmaking in Syria dates back nearly 4,000 years, with evidence of glass artifacts found from the late Bronze Age.

By the first century BCE, Syrian craftsmen are believed to have pioneered the technique of glassblowing, transforming glass production by introducing the use of a blowpipe.

This innovation allowed for a much faster process and more varied, delicate glass shapes.

Damascus soon became a vital Mediterranean hub for glass production and trade.

Traditional Syrian glassblowing is characterized by its use of recycled glass, vibrant colors, and the creation of both utilitarian and decorative items such as lamps, vases, goblets, and intricately designed bottles.

Syrian glass often features unique hand-painted decorations and motifs inspired by geometric and vegetal designs, reflecting the country’s deep artistic heritage and Islamic aesthetics.

**Cultural Importance**
Glassblowing in Syria has been more than a craft—it is a symbol of the nation’s artisan spirit and inventiveness.

Traditional family workshops have passed glassblowing secrets down generations, and the craft has long been part of wedding celebrations, communal festivities, and daily life.

Damascus glassware is celebrated as a cultural emblem in Syrian homes, embodying both functionality and beauty.

**Current Status**
Today, the craft faces a serious threat.

In recent decades, but especially since the onset of the Syrian civil war, the number of practicing glassblowers has drastically declined.

Once-thriving workshops in Damascus have dwindled to a handful, with estimates suggesting fewer than five traditional glassblowing families remaining as of the early 2020s.

Factors threatening the craft include destruction of workshops due to conflict, scarcity of materials, displacement of artisans, and competition from inexpensive mass-produced glass—both domestically and from abroad.

**UNESCO’s Urgent Safeguarding**
The seriousness of these threats led UNESCO in 2023 to include "The tradition of glassblowing in Damascus" on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

The listing recognizes that if current trends continue, the craft could disappear within a generation.

The reasons for the urgent status include:
- The acute risk of loss due to war, migration, and economic hardship
- The decline in both practitioners and interest among younger Syrians
- Loss of specialized knowledge of recipes, techniques, and forms passed down orally and through apprenticeship
- The cultural impoverishment that would follow the disappearance of such a distinctive and influential artform

**Conclusion**
Syrian glassblowing is a treasure of world heritage, blending centuries-old tradition with unique technical skills and artistry.

Its preservation is not only crucial for Syria but for the broader history of craftsmanship and global culture.

The demonstration today connects us to this remarkable heritage and spotlights the need to protect and celebrate living traditions before they are lost forever.

Here are the key summarized points relevant to the traditional craft of Syrian glassblowing, extracted from the provided text:

- Damascus is renowned as the **incubator for many traditional industries**, including one of the oldest Syrian crafts—glassblowing.

This city has long been a center for artisanal production using techniques handed down through generations.

- Traditional Syrian crafts, such as Ajami art, brocade weaving, and Sarr Al-Qaz (silk spinning), are highlighted as **arts at risk of extinction**.

The text gives several examples of heritage crafts now maintained by just a handful of practitioners—for instance, Mrs. Shamsa Bilal, identified as the last person practicing the Sarr Al-Qaz craft.

- **Heritage preservation is a growing concern in Syria.

** There are persistent efforts, including exhibitions, educational workshops, and cultural incubators (such as the Dummar Incubator for Heritage Crafts in Damascus), aimed at safeguarding these crafts, ensuring skilled professionals can innovate and teach new generations.

- The vitality of these traditional crafts is seen as **integral to Syrian cultural identity**.

Practitioners and artists underscore the importance of passing on their heritage crafts—whether glassblowing, textile arts, or wood drawing—not only for economic survival but for maintaining a connection with Syria’s rich history and values.

- There is a recurring theme of **urgent transmission**: it is emphasized that preserving and teaching these rare techniques is a duty—both to honor ancestors and to ensure that this immaterial heritage is not lost.

- **UNESCO’s perspective**: Though the text refers broadly to heritage crafts, comments on the urgency of preservation and the vanishing number of skilled artisans indicate exactly why UNESCO places Damascus glassblowing on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

The criteria include loss of practitioners, threats posed by modernization and conflict, and the critical need for intergenerational knowledge transfer.

- The **community and national value** of crafts like glassblowing is highlighted not only in the context of cultural preservation but also as a factor for social cohesion, pride, and even therapeutic integration (as seen with children, including those with special needs, involved in heritage-related creative activities).

- Finally, these events and efforts—workshops, exhibitions, and storytelling events (like Hakawati)—serve as crucial platforms to **bring heritage crafts to public attention, renew interest, and help market artisan products** in both local and international contexts.

**In essence:**
Syrian glassblowing and related heritage crafts are living symbols of the country’s cultural ingenuity and resilience.

However, due to economic, social, and political changes, many of these crafts—including glassblowing—are at risk of disappearing, as only a few master practitioners remain.

This crisis of continuity is why UNESCO recognizes the urgent need to safeguard such traditions.

Efforts in Syria focus on public awareness, training new artisans, and celebrating these crafts as part of national identity, striving to ensure they are not lost to future generations.

**Summary Nuggets: Syrian Traditional Glassblowing (Damascus) – Historical and Cultural Overview**

- **Ancient Origins:**
  Syrian glassblowing traces back over 2,000 years, with Damascus and surrounding regions renowned as the cradle of the craft.

Historical research suggests that glassblowing was invented in the areas covering present-day Syria and Palestine during the 1st century BCE, revolutionizing glass production and leading to the creation of a distinctive artistic tradition.

This innovation made glassware more accessible and allowed for greater artistic expression.

- Threats from industrial glass, imports, and declining local demand.

**Summary: Traditional Syrian Glassblowing—Damascus Craft at Risk**

**History and Features:**
Syria is widely regarded as one of the birthplaces of the glassblowing technique, with historical roots reaching back over two millennia.

Title:

Content: Art of glassblowing returns again in Aleppo countryside liberated from terrorism

The town of Urem Al-Kubra in Aleppo province in northern Syria has historically been famous for its skilled glassblowing craftsmen. The war considerably affected this traditional craft inherited from our ancestors, but after the liberation of the city from terrorism, some artisans have brought it back to life. The artisan, Yassin Arab learned the glassblowing craft from his father when he was a child, and after the town was liberated from terrorism, he returned to his small facility, where he worked to restore it and start working again. Arab does not hide his enormous passion for the craft of glassblowing and his belief in the need to preserve this ancient Syrian heritage. Regarding the working mechanism, the artisan explained to SANA that he uses recycled glass, melts it again in the oven at high temperature, and then chooses a specific shape for its manufacture, whether hookah bottles, vases, plates, small jugs, fish houses for decoration, decorated cups and antiques of different sizes. After that, t he piece is blown, rotated and processed by the artisan until it takes its final shape using white and brown colors, and once the manufacturing of the product is finished, it is decorated and colored to give it the required aesthetics. For his part, Hussein Najjar noted that he learned the craft of blowing glass manually since he was young and has been working in this field for 40 years. He added that he is able to make any shape or glass container, using his imagination, and considered that the art of glassblowing is one of the types of plastic arts. Traditional glassblowing is a profession that dates back more than two thousand years (since the time of the Phoenicians) and was included in December 2023 by UNESCO on the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity that needs urgent preservation. Source: Syrian Arab News Agency

The craft is particularly associated with the ancient city of Damascus, where artisans developed and refined glassblowing methods beginning in Roman times.

Syrian glassblowing is known for its unique hand-formed shapes, vibrant colors, delicate textures, and sometimes intricate decorative patterns.

While styles have evolved, traditional glassblowing in Damascus often features recycled glass, locally-sourced materials, and time-honored tools.

Classic items produced include lamps, bottles, drinking glasses, and ornamental objects.

Title:

Content: Manal AlDowayan to represent Saudi Arabia at Biennale Arte 2024

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

  • Manal AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists, recognised internationally for her work that spans participatory practice, photography, sound and sculpture
  • The artist interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women
  • The Saudi Pavilion is commissioned by the Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission
  • This will mark Saudi Arabia’s fourth participation in the Biennale Arte, and is the third National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia to feature woman artists

Artist Manal AlDowayan in Venice, 2023. Courtesy of the artist and the Visual Arts Commission, the Commissioner for the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Manal AlDowayan will represent Saudi Arabia at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, taking place from 20 April to 24 November 2024. The Saudi Pavilion is commissioned by the Ministry of Culture’s Visual Arts Commission.

AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists working internationally. Her work, which spans various mediums including photography, sound, sculpture, and participatory practice, interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women.

AlDowayan acts as a critical witness to the cultural and social metamorphoses sweeping her home country, and her work in turn navigates a territory where the personal and the societal overlap. Her works explore themes such as invisibility, active forgetting, and collective memory. Through her decades-long practice, AlDowayan’s art resonates with audiences around the world, fostering connection, interaction, and engagement. She is best known for participatory installations such as Suspended Together (2011) and Esmi-My Name (2012), which are the result of participatory workshops offering channels for thousands of women in Saudi Arabia to reflect on social customs relating to the position of women in Saudi Arabia and further afield.

Commenting on her participation, AlDowayan says:

My approach to art over the last two decades has given me the chance to be part of a transformation that is taking place in my country. The Biennale Arte 2024 presents a rare opportunity to represent where I stand in my practice, positioned in the context of my community, my country, and the world as a whole.

More recently, AlDowayan performed From Shattered Ruins, New Life Shall Bloom at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York in August 2023. There, she invited visitors to navigate the space which featured a landscape of totems topped with porcelain rolls filled with texts and images depicting narratives that have upheld structures around women for generations. In a conclusive collective gesture of protest against a history of control, participants destroyed the scrolls – ultimately stripping the words and images of their power and encouraging solidarity in the face of fragmentation of action and the need for a multipolar approach when it comes to helping women and girls around the world.

Dina Amin, Chief Executive Officer of the Visual Arts Commission says: At the Visual Arts Commission, our goal is to bring to the forefront the talent that resides within our country and to look for ways to nurture, amplify and celebrate it on local, regional and international stages. We are proud to be showcasing Manal AlDowayans work at the International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, an important international platform for exchange.

This will mark Saudi Arabia’s fourth participation at the International Art Exhibitions of La Biennale di Venezia and is the third National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia to feature woman artists. A concept and further details surrounding AlDowayan’s installation will be announced at a later stage, but the artist revealed that the Saudi Pavilion will reflect on the Biennale Arte’s overarching theme. Stranieri Ovunque – Foreigners Everywhere, curated by Adriano Pedrosa, will bring together artists to reflect on the differences and disparities conditioned by areas such as identity, nationality, race and gender, amongst others.

The exhibition will be on view from 20 April to 24 November 2024 at the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia’s permanent space at the Arsenale, Sale d’Armi, Venice, Italy.

Manal AlDowayan for The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, commissioned by the Visual Arts Commission, 20 April – 24 November: saudipavilion.org

Press contacts:
Rania Habib at Pelham Communications
rania@pelhamcommunications.com

Annabel Hoyng-Van der Meijden at Pelham Communications
annabel@pelhamcommunications.com

Press kit link here.

About Manal AlDowayan
AlDowayan is one of Saudi Arabia’s most significant contemporary artists working internationally. Her work, which spans various mediums including photography, sound, sculpture, and participatory practice, interrogates traditions, collective memories and the status and representation of women. AlDowayan’s work has been exhibited regionally and internationally in institutions such as the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, USA (2023); the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada (2023); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA (2023); Misk Art Institute, Saudi Arabia (2023, 2022); Setouchi Triennale, Japan (2022); Louvre Abu Dhabi, UAE (2023); Diriyah Biennale, Saudi Arabia (2022); Taehwa River Eco Festival, Korea (2021); V&A Museum, UK (2021); British Museum, UK (2021); Desert X AlUla, Saudi Arabia (2020); The Nobel Museum, Sweden (2019); the Aga Khan Museum, Canada (2018); Royal College of Art, UK (2018); Abu Dhabi Art, UAE (2017); Institut du Monde Arabe, France (2017); the Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE (2016); Santander Art Gallery, Madrid (2016); Los Angeles County Museum of Art, USA (2015); Prospect New Orleans, American Biennial, USA (2014); Gwangju Museum of Art, South Korea (2014); Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar (2014); and in a Collateral Event at the Biennale Arte in 2009 and 2011, among others. Her works can be found in the collections of the British Museum, UK; Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark; the Centre Pompidou, France; Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, Qatar; and the Solomon R. Guggenheim, USA. She participated in the Robert Rauschenberg Residency, USA (2015), and the artist-in-residence programme at the Delfina Foundation, UK (2009).

She holds an MA in Contemporary Art Practice in Public Spheres from the Royal College of Art, London. She also received a research fellowship from New York University Abu Dhabi (2014). Born in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia in 1973, AlDowayan currently lives and works between London, Dhahran and Dubai.

Website: https://www.manaldowayan.com/
Instagram: @manaldowayan
#ManalAlDowayan

About the Visual Arts Commission:
The Visual Arts Commission is one of 11 sector-specific commissions under the Ministry of Culture. Founded in 2020, it is leading the development of the visual arts sector in Saudi Arabia. The Commission is working to nurture the talent of art enthusiasts, practitioners, and professionals in the Kingdom, and support the production and exhibition of artwork in all its forms, locally and internationally.

To learn more about the Visual Arts Commission, please visit www.visualarts.moc.gov.sa/en and the commission’s page on Twitter @MOCVisualArts

About the Ministry of Culture:
Saudi Arabia has a vast history of arts and culture. The Ministry of Culture is developing Saudi Arabia’s cultural economy and enriching the daily lives of citizens, residents, and visitors.

Overseeing 11 sector-specific commissions, the Ministry is leading a cultural transformation to develop an abundant ecosystem that nurtures creativity, unlocks the economic potential of the sector and unleashes new and inspiring forms of expression.

Find the Ministry of Culture on social media: Twitter @MOCSaudi (Arabic); @MOCSaudi_En (English) | Instagram @mocsaudi

About the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia:
The National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia supports and celebrates the Kingdom’s artistic and architectural community. It serves as a meeting space for dialogue between creative minds, and an exchange of concepts and ideas. The pavilion provides a permanent home for research and ideation from the nation’s leading cultural voices.

To learn more about the National Pavilion of Saudi Arabia, please visit www.saudipavilion.org and on Instagram: @saudipavilion.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2a91498e-5d3e-41fa-91e4-de6dd610be50

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8983844

**Cultural Significance:**
The craft holds a significant place in Syria’s cultural identity, symbolizing the country’s history of creativity, hospitality, and artisanal skill.

Traditional Damascus glassware is commonly found in Syrian homes and markets, and glassblowing workshops historically functioned as important centers of community and heritage transmission, with skills passed down from master to apprentice across generations.

**Current Status:**
Traditional glassblowing in Syria is under serious threat.

Due to the impact of prolonged conflict, destruction of workshops (especially in cities like Damascus and Aleppo), loss of skilled artisans, scarcity and expense of materials, and shifting economic priorities, the number of craftsmen still practicing the authentic method has collapsed.

Recent reports indicate as few as a handful of master glassblowers remain active, and their workshops face constant risk from unstable conditions and competition from mass-produced glassware.

Title:

Content: Selma Feriani Gallery opens a new artistic era in Tunis

Tunisia has a long and distinguished history of art and the appreciation of art. Young artists are exploring new visions and building bridges to the rest of the world through a growing proliferation of art spaces. Omar Ben Yedder visits the Selma Feriani Gallery in Tunis, one of the latest to open.

By

Selma Feriani’s eponymous art gallery, which opened on 25th January 2024, is one of the growing number that have sprung up in Tunisia in the wake of the Arab Spring which also ended the dictatorial rein of Zine El Abedin Ben Ali in 2011.

Feriani says this reflects not only a change in the cultural climate, but also that there are fewer logistical barriers. “What really changed after the revolution [of 2011] was the use of public spaces, which was not possible before the revolution.

“That allowed for a lot of interesting projects sourced from outside galleries and outside institutions. There is also an emergence of art project spaces like La Boite Contemporary Art Centrale,” she explains.

Increased access to the city’s spaces for the artistic community has allowed greater forms of self-expression, she says. “For me, one of the most important festivals in Tunisia is Dream City, “she says.

The 9th edition of the Dream City festival took place in Tunis’s old town, the Medina from 22 September to 8 October 2023. The programme for this unique festival of Art in the City includes numerous works by artists from over 18 countries – Tunisia, Morocco, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Portugal, Lebanon, Egypt, Belgium, Syria, United Kingdom, Palestine, United States, Kuwait, Nigeria, Haiti, Turkey, Mali, and Argentina), with creations, concerts, debates and immersive projects.

“The festival has expanded a lot after the revolution because they’ve been able to use the Medina and downtown Tunis in a very efficient way. They had access to a lot of sites that were not necessarily accessible to the public.”

Art has always been central to Tunisia, which in the 16th century was one of the centres of Arab culture and learning. Its artistic heritage bears influences from the Levant, Italy, Spain, Persia and the Near East, resulting in a distinctive Arabesque style.

Tunisian artists have long been recognised for their expertise in creating captivating mosaics and pottery which not only provide mesmerising decorative designs, but also narratives around the culture and history of the people.

With her new gallery, Feriani, who curates another gallery in London, wants to build cultural bridges from the Middle East to Europe and Latin America. The United States, she says, is a place that she will turn her attention to later.

The opening, attended by a who’s who in Tunis as well as renowned international collectors and specialised media, saw an exhibition by Nidhal Chamekh, one of five Tunisian artists Feriani represents in addition another 12 international ones.

She opened her first gallery in 2010 in London where she lives and another at Sidi Bou Said, a picturesque village, that is home to a bustling community of artists, in 2013. Housed in a former convent, it had nowhere near enough space to house the curator’s big dreams. Sidi Bou Said with its cobbled stones and narrow streets was also difficult to access and the space limiting for artists to fully work with.

The new gallery, located in La Goulette, an industrial port area in the northern suburbs of the capital, Tunis however, is a full 2,000m2, enough to accommodate the broad ambitions of its owner – such as having 17 artists in residence – as well as hosting others from other parts of the world to come and create site-specific pieces.

A big space for big ideas

She says it is the result of three years of “painstaking work” by herself and her team. “My idea was to work on site-specific projects, so every artist would come and put together a project that is specific to the space, because it was very difficult to develop a project in their studios, and then come and work on the scenography. They had to come, spend time in the space in Tunisia, and then develop the project.”

Naturally, the very idea of such a space can be challenging but Feriani says she is happy with the results. “A new space comes with a challenge because you need to get used to the space and understand how you’re going to take things forward, especially when you are displaying visually strong works and also very research-driven and with a lot of conceptual elements but I really took my time to make sure every single detail is looked at. I wanted to make sure it’s perfect so that when you come in, you have the same experience as you would in any major gallery around the world.” The initial reviews would seem to bear out her tenacity. “Art,” as she herself puts it, “has always been an act of resistance.”

With this new space. “We have an atelier (a residency) where the artist can spend time from August until January to produce sculptures and other installations. In September we will show, for the first time in Tunis, ‘French Pavilion’ [a grouping of installations and a film by Algerian artist Zineb Sedira) so that those who couldn’t go to the Venice Biennale can watch it here in Tunis. We have a Peruvian artist coming in November with a show developed in Tunisia with marble artisans.”

On the global art map

She wants the space to be a hub for international collaborations and artistic conversations. “So we will create this bridge and foster these conversations which, for me, are very important.” She has a schedule of events already planned for the next two years.

Feriani’s desire for international cooperation is mirrored by international interest in the artists that she is curating, some of whom have been associated with her gallery for over a decade and have really matured in their output over the period.

She expects that some of the artists will have the opportunity to showcase their work at the next Venice Biennale, for example, while globally renowned galleries such as the Tate Modern in London and the Guggenheim in New York, US.

A lot of institutions globally are looking at us as a result of the work we have done to promote our artists. I think curators and institutions are definitely looking at what’s happening here. Undoubtedly, we are on the map for them now.”

Will local collectors be able to make her venture viable? Despite the growth of the local art scene and collectors in Tunisia, Feriani says she doesn’t anticipate commercial success in the near term, especially given the economic downturn the country is facing.

“Commercially, the domestic market alone will not make [the gallery] necessarily viable. I think that’s the case for most of the commercial galleries and tours because there are very few domestic collectors and they are very price sensitive as well. And I don’t think it’s going to get better anytime soon.” she reports.

However that has not deterred her. “It looks complicated right now but we have a vision and we have a strategy, so there is no way for us to go backwards. We will continue to develop things back home. It’s in the DNA of the gallery. It’s my vision, my strategy, and it’s important for me to do it in Tunisia and to have a voice from Tunisia to the world,” she says.

It surely also helps that as an international gallery, the works are displayed elsewhere (in Western cities), enabling them to reach a wider audience and potential buyers.

World class

Feriani says she intends the gallery standards and quality to evolve to world class – her inspiration is London’s famous White Cube.

 “A new space comes with a challenge because you need to get used to the space and understand how you’re going to take things forward, especially when you are displaying visually strong works,” she says.

“But I really took my time to make sure of every single detail. I wanted to make sure it’s perfect so that when you come in, you have the same experience as you would in any major gallery around the world.” The initial reviews bear out her tenacity. “Art,” as she herself puts it, “has always been an act of resistance.”

The gallery also has extra facilities such as a bookstore and a library where people can either buy or borrow books. Again, unlike in purely commercial galleries, viewers will get a peek behind the curtains of the creative process, as they were able to with the exhibition that the gallery opened with.

“For the show we put together for Nidhal Chamekh, we had the main space showing the project but on the mezzanine and in the basement, we were able to show the process, how the exhibition was made and all the bibliography, meaning all the information and books used by the artist and the imagery and research behind the project.”

This is some distance from the typical commercial gallery where visitors are only able to see the product and make a purchase when they are moved to. “It was important for me to show a little bit of what happens behind the exhibition because it gives artists and also students a way to access the research and to better understand the thinking behind the creative work,” she emphasises.

Summarising the concept behind her efforts, she says: “What we are trying to do, is not only to promote art, but everything related to the city of Tunis.

“So people can come, travel for three days or a long weekend and not only go to the beach but also discover all the art centres and studios; take part in culinary tours and of course, visit the most famous museums – Carthage, and its Roman ruins, and the newly renovated Bardo, one of the largest museums on the continent. So we provided a tailored programme for our international guests.”

Feriani says she has received positive feedback from critics, curators, collectors, journalists and art lovers who saw the first exhibition and the city of Tunis as part of the package. For her, that’s exactly the objective she has set out for herself.

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Omar Ben Yedder

Omar is Editor-in-Chief of African Business.

**UNESCO’s Urgent Safeguarding:**
UNESCO added “The craft skills and culture of handmade glass in Damascus” to its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2023.

The decision underscores the immediate risks: the possible extinction of a craft with deep historical roots, the rupturing of community and family skills transmission, and the loss of a symbol of Syrian identity and resilience.

The listing aims to galvanize preservation efforts locally and internationally, including supporting artisan livelihoods, documentation of know-how, and raising public awareness about the craft’s unique value.

Title:

Content: K11 Craft & Guild Foundation Conserves Traditional Chinese Craftsmanship with the First Immersive Digital Art Fair – ‘Voyage de Savoir-Faire’ in Guangzhou

Following Guangzhou, KCG will bring the exhibition to Wuhan, Hong Kong, Paris and other global cities to share this celebration of Chinese Savoir-Faire.

GUANGZHOU, China, April 4, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — K11 Craft & Guild Foundation (KCG), the renowned Hong Kong based charity for arts and culture, is delighted to announce the start of its Voyage de Savoir-Faire exhibition at K11 Art Mall in Guangzhou. The exhibition is the second stop on its world tour. The Voyage de Savoir-Faire exhibition is a celebration of craftsmanship and the beauty of traditional techniques in creating gilt-decorated lacquer. The exhibition explores the cultural and artistic zenith of “The Time When East Meets West” alongside a diverse range of exquisite crafts from old and contemporary China showcased in a new and unique digital light, running from 30 March to 25 June.

Voyage de Savoir-Faire: K11’s first immersive digital exhibition on Chinese craftsmanship.

Curated to examine a period in history where Chinoiserie fascinated a European audience, Voyage de Savoir-Faire presents breathtaking traditional and contemporary craft seen as never before, using innovative technology to invoke an artistic magic from the past that lives on to this day. Visitors to the exhibition can expect to see a collection of 14 unique antiquities, each one intricately crafted by skilled artisans using time-honored skills. Visitors will embark on a cultural journey to witness the far-reaching global influence of Chinese craft and culture. With 14 sets of intricately detailed gilt-decorated lacquer antiquities collected by the Foundation thoughtfully positioned among vivid contemporary digital displays, the exhibition recreates a whimsical, imaginative world of gold-gilt black lacquer craftsmanship for viewers, transcending time and space.

KCG was founded in 2018, in the hope of conserving and rejuvenating the intangible cultural heritage and creating it as a shared value in society. By showcasing historical treasures and the masterpieces of contemporary artists, KCG encourage young people to explore their own historical and cultural roots, enhance their creativity and expand their horizons to help the development of creative industries and showcase the new power of Chinese culture on the world stage.

Dating back to the early Warring States period and earlier, the craftsmanship of gilt-decorated lacquer has been passed down from generation to generation. By gaining a deeper understanding of this unique Chinese craft, viewers are able to enjoy a deeper level of appreciation when studying these works, as well as other associated crafts and traditions. In addition to the antiquities themselves, the exhibition also provides an opportunity to learn about the cultural significance and history behind each piece.

The Rêve recreates the whimsical experience of “imaginary touring” through an immersive, multi-sensory experience

To create Voyage de Savoir-Faire, contemporary artists and artisans joined hands to present a modern perspective on a thousand-year tradition. The exhibition also serves as a way to conserve and rejuvenate this unique and fast-disappearing Chinese craftsmanship. Winning the admiration of European royalty, including wealthy collectors like Queen Marie Antoinette of France, Chinese lacquerware rose to great popularity beginning in the late 17th century. So great was the demand for these beautiful works that the Palace of Versailles employed craftsmen specifically to produce lacquerware in the Chinese style.

Across five exhibition areas, Voyage de Savoir-Faire takes viewers taken back in time. In Dérive, the birth story of Chinese traditional gilt-decorated lacquer is told and the journey of exploration into “The Time When East Meets West” begins. In Voyage, we see the start of trans-continental shipping and the ancient worlds of China’s Kangxi, the “Light of Asia” and Louis XIV, the “Sun King” intersect. The Rêve recreates the whimsical experience of “imaginary touring” through an immersive, multi-sensory experience, perfectly presenting exquisite lacquer craftsmanship in the oriental aesthetic. Here, the essence of enjoying the fruits of the craft is reimagined through the experience of simply sitting or lying within this enchanting space.

Gilt-decorated black lacquer artworks by contemporary artist Vincent Cazeneuve

Returning to the present day, the Savoir-faire spotlights efforts to conserve and rejuvenate the craft, with interactive devices detailing the lacquerware creation process intended to educate all visitors. To complete this incredible journeytwo sets of gilt-decorated black lacquer artworks by contemporary artists Weng Jijun and Vincent Cazeneuve are displayed together with a set of digital art by ‘Obvious Art’ in the Au-delà du Rêve finale, demonstrating a modern revival and new application for gilt-decoration.

Traditional Chinese craftsmanship requires active conservation and rejuvenation, but by uniting contemporary artists, art aficionados and new fans alike, K11 Craft & Guild Foundation hopes this exhibition will take visitors on a journey through the history of traditional crafts, highlighting the beauty and value of handmade objects. ‘Vovage de Savoir-Faire’ is a must see for anyone interested in the beauty of traditional crafts and the irreplaceable art of handmade objects.

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About K11 Craft & Guild Foundation

Founded by Adrian Cheng in 2018, K11 Craft & Guild Foundation (KCG) is a registered charity for arts and culture in Hong Kong.

We are cultural crafters who conserve and rejuvenate fast-disappearing Chinese artisanship to create a craft ecosystem with a sustainable, positive social impact. By incorporating Creating Shared Value (CSV) to bring crafts, business and society together, we make crafts more accessible to the community, educate the public with research initiatives and curate collaborations with artisans, aiming to bridge the gap between culture and economy.

Cultural entrepreneur and the founder of K11 Art Foundation and Culture for Tomorrow, Adrian Cheng established the charity with aims to conserve and rejuvenate fast-disappearing Chinese artisanship, in addition to Creating Shared Value (CSV) for society. Adrian believes that the power of business lies not only in generating profits, but also in supporting and empowering other community stakeholders, as well as promoting a new vision of CSV to bring a sustainable, positive impact to the local community.

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UNESCO’s intervention is a call to action to safeguard not just objects, but a living tradition.

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Content: OIC conference to discuss the development of youth, sports

Hissein Brahim Taha. (Twitter @oicarabic)
Short Url
Updated 04 September 2022

OIC conference to discuss the development of youth, sports

  • The conference will discuss the commitment of member states to implementing OIC strategies on youth and developing sports to promote joint Islamic action in these two fields

JEDDAH: A conference to discuss the development of youth and sports is being held in Jeddah on Wednesday.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, together with the Kingdom’s Ministry of Sports, is holding the fifth session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers under the slogan "Development of Youth and Sports for a Solidarity-based Ummah.”

The three-day forum will discuss the situation of young people in OIC member states and the importance the OIC and its relevant bodies attach to developing youth and sports.

It also seeks to enhance the capabilities of young people and advance their role in development to pave the way for stability, progress, and prosperity, combat the extremist and violent ideas propagated by terrorist organizations, and encourage dialogue, moderation, tolerance, and respect for others.

The conference will discuss the commitment of member states to implementing OIC strategies on youth and developing sports to promote joint Islamic action in these two fields.

It will also review the efforts made by member states and OIC bodies working in the fields of youth and sports, led by the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Women Development Organization.

On the celebration of OIC Youth Day on Sept. 3, the body's secretary-general, Hissein Brahim Taha, extended his sincere congratulations and blessings to all young men and women in the Islamic world. He singled out the Palestinian youth who lived under the Israeli occupation and the youth who lived in conflict zones in other member states.

He said OIC Youth Day was an affirmation of the centrality of youth issues in the body's priorities and an opportunity to commend the contributions of young people in improving the world and highlighting their essential role in development, building and strengthening peace and dialogue, and combating extremism and terrorism in member states.

Taha called on member states and the international community to join efforts to enhance the role of young men and women in development so they were effective partners in advancing the global economic and social situation.

Saudi cuisine takes over Paris gastronomy festival

Updated 05 September 2022

Saudi cuisine takes over Paris gastronomy festival

  • We have 7 pavilions for Saudi Arabia to indicate all the regions and diversity of our cultural offerings, says Mayada Badr

PARIS:  If you think that Saudi Arabia’s cuisine is only famous for kabsa, think again, and the Eiffel Tower is a witness!

Paris hosted one of the biggest gourmet events this weekend, which took place from Sept. 1-4.

The fifth edition of the International Gastronomy Village offered four days of conviviality with popular cuisines and cultures from over 50 countries. This year, Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy sponsored the village.

All this is very familiar to the CEO of the Saudi Culinary Arts Commission, Mayada Badr, who took part in 2016 as a chef.

“I realized the impact of how just sharing a meal with someone can change the perception of a country through gastronomy. It honestly is such amazing soft power,” she told Arab News.

At the foot of the Eiffel Tower, the Kingdom set up seven pavilions, making it one of the largest participants at the event — welcoming visitors to witness live cooking sessions, enjoy traditional music and shows, and taste authentic dishes and Saudi coffee.

“We have seven pavilions for Saudi Arabia to indicate all the regions and diversity of our cultural offerings,” said Badr, adding that one can experience all five regional Saudi coffees with a variety of dates.

She highlighted that 2022 has been dedicated as “The Year of Saudi Coffee” by the Kingdom’s Ministry of Culture.

Next to the coffee pavilion, there was an area dedicated to dates that offered date-based desserts such as qishd and mehalla.

Two pavilions were devoted to Saudi dates, helping to introduce festival goers to the Kingdom’s rich heritage and highlight the large variety of dates that grow in the country.

Badr said people assume that Saudi Arabia is all desert, but after visiting the pavilions, they understand that the Kingdom has coffee farms and grows mangoes and bananas.

As well as a craftsmanship pavilion, there are culinary tents with the flavorsome aroma of jarish, banana mutabbaq, mandi and veggie markouk.

The Saudi chefs offered traditional mouthwatering dishes that you can find in Saudi homes, hence bringing a part of the Kingdom to the very heart of Paris.

When asked about jarish, Chef Carly told one visitor: “It is a traditional Saudi grandma’s dish. It is similar to risotto in a way, but instead of rice, we use cracked wheat. It can either be done with chicken or with tomatoes for a vegetarian option.”

After a good meal, it was time for some sweets. In another pavilion, chef Omar Mulla was busy preparing Saudi Arabia’s most loved luqaimat, magshush and masoub.

While preparing freshly made sweets, he told Arab News that luqaimat, which translates into small bites, are fried little dumplings with sugar syrup and cardamom, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

Masoub is a famous sweet dish in the Hijaz, made from sajj bread, banana, honey and ashta. Maghough comes from Hail, where it is made with bread and date molasses.

When asked about future projects, Badr said there was a memorandum of understanding signed with Le Cordon Bleu to open a culinary school in Riyadh soon.

Saudi Arabia’s Misk silkscreen micro-residency etches pure emotion on print

Updated 04 September 2022

Saudi Arabia’s Misk silkscreen micro-residency etches pure emotion on print

  • The month-long intensive program has seen six residents fully immersed in the contemporary art of silkscreen printing

RIYADH: Misk Art Institute’s latest art residency showcase brought together a variety of culture vultures to experience a wave of emotions — from inner demons to journeys of self-exploration — through silkscreen prints.

The residency, a month-long intensive program that took place at the Masaha art hub throughout August, saw six residents fully immersed in the contemporary art of silkscreen printing, supervised by an expert team of in-house printmakers.

The residents brought their own unique ideas to life, from the curatorial phase to the production phase through access to the institute’s screen-printing facilities and individual studio spaces.

“The residency was great. The printing methods helped me to deliver the message more prominently and more easily. I think that we achieved a lot in a one-month residency,” resident and film photographer Haitham Alsharif told Arab News.

His work further explored the conversation of self-awareness, coping mechanisms, and contemporary social pressures. The vulnerability issues his generation faces in their daily lives act as an influence on his work, focusing on creating a printed representation of various expectations and criticisms such as the pressure of marriage or wearing labels.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The micro-residency was organized to bring together artists from various disciplines to experience this delicate but immersive technique, gain a deeper appreciation for silkscreen printing and showcasing their work to the Saudi community.

• The art residency comes after three cycles of three-month intensive programs, the Masaha Residencies, which have featured artists from all over the world coming to Riyadh to develop their craft and explore their designated themes.

“In photography, I think printing is an essential way of showcasing a photo, but using different colors and different formats of printing, it can add another layer of creativity so you can deliver that message in a more creative, attractive, and prominent way,” he said.

By contrast, fellow resident Shatha Altumihi explored the inner pressures that one creates within themselves. Her work, an audience favorite, centers around characters that individuals can morph into in the process of expressing themselves emotionally by dealing with their inner demons.

“I decided to choose this subject because I often feel misunderstood. I’ve gone through certain experiences so I wanted to visualize that in a funky and visually pleasing way so that people don’t feel that these emotions are negative or that monsters are a bad thing,” she told Arab News.

Altumihi has used this opportunity to delve into silkscreen printing to further enhance her graphic design and illustration background. She’s used various techniques, such as bitmap photoshop effects, to bring texture and vividness to her artworks.

Resident Mohammad Fattal brought an emotional display to the halls of Masaha. His pieces, printed on draped sheer fabric, represent our relationship with abandoned or old buildings.

Photographs of torn-down places and homes shed light on the emotions we endure when we leave precious memories behind, either willingly or forcefully. On a personal level, it’s an ode to his home country, Syria.

“I haven’t been to Syria since the war, so when I saw these scenes of torn down buildings, I got the feeling, even if they weren’t real, of how I would feel if I saw this in my country, in places that are dear to my heart,” Fattal told Arab News.

As a digital photographer, he tested the contrasting reactions to his digital photos with physically printed works, playing around with fabrics and textured paper.

“It gives you a different feeling, and that’s what I wanted to transfer from my personality to things that are more artistic, not just photography. I’ve found that in printing in a beautiful way… with every print or try, we get a new artwork,” he said.

The micro-residency was organized to bring together artists from various disciplines to experience this delicate but immersive technique, gain a deeper appreciation for silkscreen printing and showcasing their work to the Saudi community.

The art residency comes after three cycles of three-month intensive programs, the Masaha Residencies, which have featured artists from all over the world coming to Riyadh to develop their craft and explore their designated themes.

The showcase will be running until Sept. 8 at Misk’s Masaha space, open to the public daily from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Saudi Arabia sends 211 students on cultural scholarships

Since its launch, the scholarship program has benefitted 683 students: 443 women and 240 men. (SPA)
Updated 04 September 2022

Saudi Arabia sends 211 students on cultural scholarships

  • Ministry of Culture’s scholarship program aims to prepare Saudis to meet labor market needs

RIYADH: The Ministry of Culture is sending 211 students on scholarships to international higher education institutions, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The Cultural Scholarship Program, supervised by the ministry, intends to prepare Saudis to meet the labor market’s need for qualified and talented nationals specializing in the arts and culture sectors.

It is the first program of its kind in the Kingdom and covers tuition fees and all study costs of the participating students.

This latest group of students — comprising 133 women and 78 men — is the seventh since the program first launched in December 2019. Among the students, 123 are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, 83 in master’s degree programs and the remaining five in Ph.D. programs.

The students’ specializations cover food and science technology, theater, music, heritage and archeology, fashion design, libraries and museums, filmmaking, visual arts, literature and linguistics, architecture, culinary arts and design.

HIGHLIGHT

This latest group of students — comprising 133 women and 78 men — is the seventh since the program first launched in December 2019. Among the students, 123 are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs, 83 in master’s degree programs and the remaining five in Ph.D. programs.

They will attend institutes and universities including Culinary Arts Academy, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Culinary Institute of America, University of the Arts London, Pratt Institute, Manchester School of Architecture, Virginia Commonwealth University, Australian National University, Indiana University Bloomington, University of Edinburgh and Durham University.

The majority of the students will continue their educational journey in the US, which will host 115 students, followed by the UK (56 students), Switzerland (20 students) and Australia (10 students). Egypt and France will each host two students, while the three remaining students will be divided between Italy, Singapore and South Korea.

Since its launch, the scholarship program has benefitted 683 students: 443 women and 240 men. Students studying for their bachelor’s degree composed the highest share of the program with 384 students, followed by those studying for a master’s degree (291 students) and a Ph.D. (eight students).

The Cultural Scholarship Program is distinguished by its comprehensiveness and specializations diversity in cultural and artistic fields. The selected students will benefit from financial coverage for tuition fees, living expenses for both themselves and their companions, health care, travel tickets, as well as follow-up and evaluation guidance programs.

Content creator’s food videos fill gap in the Saudi market

Raneen Joudah started her social media journey by making simple food vlogs of delicious home-cooked meals. (Supplied)
Updated 04 September 2022

Content creator’s food videos fill gap in the Saudi market

  • “I am a content creator who cooks food and shoots at the same time. Before, people viewed me as a housewife who cooks, but now I elevated my content by cinematography,” Joudah told Arab News

RIYADH: Food content creators on social media have stepped up their game by posting cinematically shot food pictures and videos to create a tempting and glossy gallery of images.

One of them is Jeddah-based Raneen Joudah, a housewife and a digital creator with 305,000 followers on Instagram, 33,000 on Tiktok, and 350,000 on Snapchat. She also has 172,000 YouTube subscribers.

Joudah started her social media journey by making simple food vlogs of delicious home-cooked meals but decided to take things up a notch when she realized there was a lack of creative, professional, and informative content.

“I am a content creator who cooks food and shoots at the same time. Before, people viewed me as a housewife who cooks, but now I elevated my content by cinematography,” Joudah told Arab News.

She offers tips and tricks for baking, and ideas for children’s lunchboxes, sweets, spreads, and salads. Her Instagram shows a range of recipes, mostly covering the Arab and Mediterranean regions.

HIGHLIGHT

Raneen Joudah offers tips and tricks for baking, and ideas for children’s lunchboxes, sweets, spreads, and salads. Her Instagram shows a range of recipes, mostly covering the Arab and Mediterranean regions. She also shares proper cooking techniques and the science of food in her perfectly shot and aesthetically appealing videos.

As a content creator, Joudah shares more than just recipes. She also shares proper cooking techniques and the science of food in her perfectly shot and aesthetically appealing videos.

Simple recipe videos take around six hours comprising cooking, filming, and editing, but a creatively shot video can take anywhere from three to seven days of work, which includes building the creative concept, shooting, and editing.

“Creating content as in production with a certain style of cinematography is something that we lack on social media and I like that I'm filling the gap here.

“The market lacks content creating production, and in Saudi Arabia, we don’t have a middle ground. You either find an immature cinematographer or pay so much for a professional production company, so I established a creative production house and named it Creative Table that’s going to be launched soon.”

Joudah believed that Creative Table, a location to shoot and produce content, bridged the gap between big production houses and small solo videographers working on creative campaigns.

She said all social media platforms could work together to create a brand.

“I use Snapchat as a curtain raiser of the recipe video that I, later on, post the professional content on Instagram. Snapchat is a good engagement tool to get people excited and communicate with the audience, and having more than one platform like Snapchat, Instagram, and now, Tiktok all serve together.”

Joudah preferred Snapchat because she could be herself more and be close to people.

“Snapchat people can see the behind-the-scenes most of the time, so they know the effort and appreciate it.”

She also thought working on social media was better than opening a restaurant.

“Many people advised me to open a restaurant since I’m a food content creator. However, opening a restaurant is my last priority, and I won’t open one under my name because I don't like to link my name to a place, and everything that may go wrong in the restaurant can reflect on my name.”

Saudi Arabia’s Mawhiba reviews success of research programs at European Council for High Ability

The workshop helps outstanding students enroll at leading institutions in the US. (Twitter: @mawhiba)
Updated 04 September 2022

Saudi Arabia’s Mawhiba reviews success of research programs at European Council for High Ability

  • The conference, held in the Netherlands, was attended by more than 800 people from 15 countries

RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity (Mawhiba) reviewed its successful experience in research programs at the 18th European Council for High Ability between Aug. 31 and Sept. 3.

The ECHA seeks to create communication opportunities for teachers, researchers, psychologists, and parents and enhance the exchange of information among people engaged in this field.

The conference, held in the Netherlands, was attended by more than 800 people from 15 countries.

Three Mawhiba students, Abdulrahman Al-Fheid, Rafif Hubani, and Hanin Al-Tamar, participated and exchanged ideas, expertise, and culture with people from other countries.

The director general of the Excellence Center, Khalid Al-Sharif, reviewed a paper that discussed the steps Mawhiba had adopted to increase the quality of student research and how these had helped the body win 22 awards at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair and a Mawhiba student receive an award for being the best researcher in the world.

Al-Sharif went over Mawhiba’s efforts in caring for talented youth and its approach to offering research programs.

The conference saw the participation of specialists from the US, Europe, and Africa. There were scientific papers, workshops, and lectures on areas including innovative educational practices, supporting talent development, self-development, the necessity of engaging every educated person, considering student opinions, and creating new norms to invest in talent.

Recently, Mawhiba launched its second training workshop this year to prepare 200 secondary school students for admission to top US universities.

The seven-day workshop is part of Mawhiba’s Excellence Program, which helps outstanding students enroll at leading institutions in the US. The students receive career guidance, counseling, and intensive courses on academic writing.

**Conclusion:**
Traditional Syrian glassblowing, especially as practiced in Damascus, is an irreplaceable cultural treasure that stands at a perilous crossroads.

Its survival depends on active efforts to support artisans, protect workshop spaces, and pass along skills to new generations.

Title:

Content: Podcasts: Feature

I Am Not Your Refugee: Ana Surie

A conversation about the ‘Ana Surie’ (‘I Am Syrian’) photography exhibition organised in the Zaatari refugee camp

29 September 2022, 9.17am
  • This podcast series was supported by the Pulitzer Center

Mohamad Khalf has been teaching photography in Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan, for many years – instilling a love of learning and creative expression in his students Ali and Mohammed Nour Al-Babisi.

They talk to Bairbre Flood about the photography exhibition Mohmamad Khalf organised in the camp, called ‘Ana Surie’ (‘I Am Syrian’) and why they are Syrian first – not refugees.

Nour Al-Hariri shares her rap music and explains why she writes about early marriage, child labour, and other issues - and why the many talented and creative women in the camp should be supported more.

Watch some of the short films created by Al-Balbisi.

Presented by Mahmoud Hassino and produced by Bairbre Flood.

Theme music by Omar Alkilani. Artwork by Haya Halaw.

With thanks to the Pulitzer Center for funding support.

Transcript

Mahmoud Hassino: Hi, I'm Mahmoud Hassino and you're listening to I Am Not Your Refugee, a podcast created by myself and Bairbre Flood in collaboration with some of the refugee community organizers, activists and artists working to challenge stereotypes around migration. With thanks to the Pulitzer Center for funding support

Hi, and welcome to this week's episode, which comes to you from Zaatari camp in Jordan. Zaatari is home to just over 80,000 people who were forced to leave Syria during the war. More than half of the camps residents are children. Muhammad Khalf has been teaching photography in Zaatari for many years. We'll hear more from him throughout the program. But first, we talked to one of his students, Ali. During his chat with Bairbre, he talks about a photography exhibition, Mohammed Khalf organized in the camp called 'Ana Surie', 'I Am Syrian'.

Ali: I'm a Ali. I'm 23 years old. I'm Syrian but I live in Zaatari Camp in Jordan. I have been living in this camp in Jordan since I was 13. I finished my high school. And now I'm working as a photographer with some organization here in Zaatari camp. I like photography. It was it was a hobby when I was a child, and I improved it to make it something to stay alive. It was my hobby. And now it's my job. Mohammad Khalf gave me the basics. And after that he said that if I learn the whole thing you will do what I do. If I give you the basics, you will show me your creative. This is it.

Bairbre Flood: What did you like most about the way Mohammed taught or about the ethos of the course or how he did it?

Ali: Mohammad's style was so amazing for us because he was a teacher, instructor - a brother also - and the first supporter for us. He was helping us and everything that we can do it. And when we are making a mistake, he said okay, it's easy - it's not a big problem - to go ahead, to learn more and more.

Bairbre Flood: So in the project with Muhammad, I know you had an exhibition 'Ana Surie'? So why is it important for him to help people be proud of that?

Ali: I think the main thing in this project 'Ana Surie' it was just to let the people and all the word know what the meaning of the Syrian. We are not a refugee, we are human, this is it.

And we just show our culture and our traditional clothes, what we would like, what we are living. Like trees, or flowers. When I was in Syria you can see that in each house in Syria, there is a tree or flowers. And here is not. And we make it - you can see most of the houses here in Zaatari camp, you can see the trees rows. And this was something important for us to bring with us and to feel just we are there's something from our home.

I improved my skills and just now I'm on a level that they can see the photos and know if there any mistake in it or not. Get tips to make the photos more beautiful. It's good for me actually. And from the photography. I made a lot of relationship with friends. That was so good for me, actually, for Syrian people. Not just Syrian but outside the camp in Jordan, or you can see the Arabian country...from America from Britain.

Here in Zaatari camp the opportunity for the youth is so low actually. I'm now I'm 22 years old and I just finished my high school and I don't go to the university so I'm looking for a scholarship right now. So there's a lot of people here in Zaatari like this, like me. There was no opportunity just to learn. Maybe all of them and I'm one of them are looking forward to go outside the camp, to Arabian country maybe, to Europe, America, or any country just to complete our learning. We do not like to stay in the same thing. Okay, we are in the high school and what else? Just we are working to complete our life. So all of us want to go outside just get more opportunity.

Mahmoud Hassino: Another of Mohammad Khalf's students Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi chats with Bairbre and Mohammad Khalf interprets:

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: The picture no back again...

Bairbre Flood: Oh like it's once off yeah, like it happens once that's it. So he has to capture it.

Mohammad Khalf: No internet. The picture no back again.

Bairbre Flood: It happens once and that's it.

Mohammad Khalf: Yeah, the picture is remember.

Bairbre Flood: The picture will never come...the picture will never come back.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: The camp has many creative people here. Refugees need a chance because the creative inside. Skills, creative need chance.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Bairbre Flood: What's it called? (The film)

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: Full day in Zaatari.

Mohammad Khalf: Full day of Zaatari. From morning to night.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: Start with the sun.

Bairbre Flood: Sunrise.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: Many shops...

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: General shots.

Bairbre Flood: Like of people going about their business. {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: Life of a refugee.

Bairbre Flood: Why that's so important for you to make that and not somebody coming in from Ireland or England or America and coming into the camp and making it? Why is it so important for somebody in the camp?

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: He is taking picture because no people knows how is refugee live in Zaatari camp.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: He has nationality. Not refugee.

Bairbre Flood: Okay. You're Syrian?

Mohammad Khalf: Yeah, he is. He is Syrian. Not refugee. The refugee here. We hates speak 'refugee, refugee, refugee'. Ana Surie {speaks in Arabic}.

Bairbre Flood: Okay, it's important. For community and for pride, okay. Is there anything you want to tell people?

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Bairbre Flood: {speaks in Arabic} Nothing? Ok! Watch the video.

Muhammad Nour Al-Balbisi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Finish film 'Full day of Zaatari' and {speaks in Arabic} new project - Ramadan month...

Bairbre Flood: You're gonna film all through the month?

Mohammad Khalf: Ramadan after this month.

Bairbre Flood: In April?

Mohammad Khalf: Yeah. He has one project about Ramadan.

Bairbre Flood: Okay it's good {speaks in Arabic}

Mohammad Khalf: She waiting to see film.

Bairbre Flood: {speaks in Arabic} thank you so much.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic - raps a piece she's written}

Ataa Hamidi: Her name is Nour Huda Akram Al Hariri.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: She wrote a song about rap. This song name is {speaks in Arabic} which mean in English 'when I want to be different person I should make the difference'. I should change something. When she completed this song she was she was lvery happy with this song and she can do something and she can do many changes. She decided to go through this aspect and write songs.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: One of her most important people - she wanted to be like him - his name is Ismail Tamar. He is a singer and he also sing the rap. She wanted to imitate him and to be like him.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: At this moment, I discovered that there's no need to stop and to be to waiting for anything. Because life is going on. And there is no need to waste the time so that I decided to have another person help me. I write and the other person sing and this person I choose my sister Bruj.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: We started together my sister and me. And when we show the people they liked the idea and they told us: why don't you improve this aspect? And you evaluate this song and do more of this song and we did it.

Bairbre Flood: What do you write about?

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: MashAllah, she's so fast! We we wrote the songs for many topics. And one of the most important and familiar topics was the early marriage. And also one of the most important topic that they wrote songs about is violence, especially with the mother or the woman. And then they wrote many topics about the kids work, the kids they work in the camp. They still young, no more than 10 years or 11 years and they worked in the camp.. They wanted to focus on this idea and wrote many songs on this topic. They also wanted to focus on the topic of the woman right, they thought that a woman in the camp may need more support. This is why they focus on this idea.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: Being a feminist means many things to her because as a Syrian refugee feminist in the camp mean like maybe many people will see her as a very bad way or constantly treat her as a very bad way. She wanted to change this idea and she wanted to change the thought of our many people for the woman in the camp. Her sister and her wanted to change the traditional in the camp and also outside the camp because you know, when you being as a singer of rap this mean you are a very different person - especially you are a feminist. So she wanted to change this idea.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: There's many ideas she wanted people to focus in, and she wanted the other country out of Jordan even, to focus on the most. But the most important idea she wanted people to focus in that why don't support us as refugees more? Don't support us more as refugees in general? And she also wants people to focus on support the woman especially. Here in the camp, there are many creative and talented girls.

Nour Al Hariri: {speaks in Arabic}

Ataa Hamidi: She said that being a refugee is not just a person he left his home and his homeland, and sit and live in another place. No, she mean, we are human, persons. And we have many successful ideas, and we are most of us as a highly educated persons. And most of us have very positive and talented work, but they just need a support from people and they need people to see them not just as refugee, but as a human.

Nour Al Hariri and Burj: {speaks in Arabic - recites a rap they wrote}

Nour Al Hariri and her sister Burj, with thanks to Ataa Hamidi for interpreting the interview with Nour for us.

Mahmoud Hassino: Finally, we hear from Mohammad Khalf and after the interview, he shows Bairbre and Ataa some of his students photographs over the years.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: My name is Mohammed Khalf, from Syria. from Dara and born in Damascus.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I started my volunteer work with children to help them take photographs,

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I liked it when the children express their feelings through the photographs

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: From the beginning, I refused the idea that I was just a refugee. And I taught the children to be proud of being Syrian too.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I'm proud to be helping to change the negative ideas around refugees and proud that I'm one of the people who helped create change in the camp.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: Some of the students I worked with have gone on to get work with some of the organizations and the camp

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: And these days I teach children in my house in a small school I've built at the side of my house.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: My volunteer work helps me to keep positive and be more motivated and have more opportunities in the camp for study and work.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: And this work helped me to be closer to the kids in the camp and to my own kids and helped me to decide to be a class teacher and start to study this in the university.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I know that the change starts from inside us and I decided to strengthen myself more and more and do more volunteer work with the kids.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: And I focused more on the teaching process and help the kids because I want them all to be successful and to be changemakers

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I want to say something to those who think that there is no creativity in the camp. There are many creative people here in the camp who are successful and talented. I just want to say as well that I'm constantly inspired by my wife, Salam.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Voice Actor: I know there's a lot of stereotypes around refugees that's why I tell the children to say I am not a refugee - Ana Surie - I am Syrian. And be proud of that.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Bairbre Flood: A car made out of disability wheelchair, and a caravan here.

Ataa Hamidi: Yes.

Bairbre Flood: That's so cool.

Ataa Hamidi: Different way like.

Bairbre Flood: It's good. Yeah. It's a good picture too.

Mohammad Khalf: {speaks in Arabic}

Bairbre Flood: These are beautiful.

Mohammad Khalf: Camera digital not professional.

Bairbre Flood: A digital camera. That's a very cool.

Ataa Hamidi: He looks not like a refugee -

Bairbre Flood: He looks like an actor!

Ataa Hamidi: He looks like he looks like a Syrian actor, Jamal Suliman.

Bairbre Flood: And these these photos are from all his students as well?

Ataa Hamidi: Yes this photo's from his students.

Bairbre Flood: They're beautiful.

Ataa Hamidi: {speaks in Arabic}

Mahmoud Hassino: Huge thanks to Ali, Muhammad Nour Al Balbisi, Nour Al Hariri and her sister Burj, Ataa Hamidi and Muhammad, Khalf. His wife, Salem, voice actor, Aboudi Dabbagh, and everyone in Mafraq and Zaatari, who helped with this episode. Links to the photographers and the short films they've produced are in the show notes, as are links to more of the work of Nour Al Hariri.

Thank you for listening from myself, Mahmoud Hassino, and producer Bairbre Flood. Music by Omar Al Kilani. Join us next time for our art episode. With artherestanbul, Syrian illustrator and artist Haya Halaw, and Irish-Pakistani artist Hina Khan. See you then! With thanks to the Pulitzer Center for funding support.

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Recognizing and supporting this craft is vital to safeguarding Syria’s cultural heritage and human creativity.

Title:

Content: Meet Sumayya Vally, the woman behind the world's first ever Islamic Arts Biennale

Sumayya Vally   -  Copyright  Lou Jasmine
By Elise Morton

Changemaker, Pioneer, and One to watch.

These would all be fair descriptions of South African architect Sumayya Vally who is presently organising the world’s first Islamic Arts Biennale in Saudi Arabia.

Born in Pretoria (1990), Vally co-founded the experimental architecture and research firm, Counterspace, in 2015 and went on to become the youngest ever architect commissioned to design London’s famed Serpentine Pavilion in 2020.

The following year, Vally was recognized in the Time 100 Next list as an emerging leader shaping the future.

This year, Vally has undertaken a new challenge: designing the first ever Islamic Arts Biennale in Jeddah, Saudi Arab. Taking on this role saw her reimagine Jeddah Airport’s mammoth Hajj Terminal – ordinarily known for hosting hundreds of thousands of Muslims making their sacred pilgrimage to Mecca – as a journey through centuries of Islamic creativity. The Islamic Arts Biennale 2023 runs in Jeddah until 23 April 2023.

Euronews Culture spoke to Vally on the Biennale and its mission, the oft-contested definition of “Islamic art”, and the perspective she brings as a young, South African, Muslim woman spearheading such a seminal art event.

Why the need for an Islamic Arts Biennale?

I strongly feel that there is a need to acknowledge that Islamic faith, Islamic practice and Islamic tradition can and should be making a creative contribution to the world.

I have been thinking deeply about this opportunity to create a temporary home, an entirely new physical setting, one which has such a profound significance in the context of the Muslim pilgrim’s journey, in which to invite artists and audiences to reflect on ritual – the sacred, the personal, and the communal.

I think platforms for sharing ideas, pavilions, and biennales, for example, are incredibly important in how they set the tone for the future and how they allow us to project our imaginations into those spaces. To understand that we have the opportunity to make the future of culture and cultural typologies through these voices and perspectives, which reference and resonate with such diverse geographies, is profound.

How do you see the significance of a woman, and particularly a young Muslim woman, being the artistic director for this event, both within the context of contemporary Saudi Arabia and contemporary Islam? What does it mean to you?

My deepest strength is the confluence of lenses through which I see the world - the woman in me, the African in me, the Muslim in me and - these can be seen as limitations (and of course professionally they are), but they are absolutely the reason I see the future of the world and the visions I have for it in the ways I do.

I believe that hybridity is an incredible strength. The biennale foundation team is made up of a cohort of (mostly) strong women, all of whom are around my age and have cultural overlap with my background and upbringing.

It has been incredibly special to see and truly witness the value of our perspectives in putting forth a project that is entirely different – shaped entirely from these authentic perspectives. I think from the experience I’ve had with our team, if the future of culture is indeed in these hands, we are going to see remarkable things happening from here.

How do you understand the term "Islamic art"?

Existing definitions of “Islamic art” often focus on style, tradition, geography, pattern, and geometry. The ambition of this biennale is to build on and challenge these criteria, expanding on the existing canon of Islamic art, and to question the narrative, museological, and artistic practices of this time. Islamic artworks may have surface similarities, but what really unites them is inherent in how they are made, used, and understood.

When we identify great artworks as “Islamic”, we are simultaneously honouring historical traditions by keeping them alive, and contemporary practices by giving them a history. It is important to situate contemporary work in the historical narrative because it is only in context that things can belong.

The works in the biennale are experiential – they put forth an entirely different definition for Islamic Art – rooted in the experiential, the oral, the aural, our ritual practices and the ingredients and infrastructures of gathering and community.

For example, Cosmic Breath by Joe Namy choreographs the adhan, or call to prayer, from 18 different locations, where one wouldn't necessarily expect the call to prayer to be called – a parking lot, a gas station, the side of the road somewhere, from across the world, Japan, Durban in South Africa, Detroit. And he's recorded these and choreographed them so that the call starts at the same time. And this is really reflecting on the idea of cosmic breath, that every second of the day the call to prayer is being called somewhere on Earth. And there are five a day, so when we stand up in prayer, we're joining this undulating rhythm and this undulating call.

So many of our practices are not able to be held in traditional archives because they're not written forms. They're spoken, they're oral, they're passed down from generation to generation, from body to body. Many of our artists are not only taking on these practices and interpreting them in contemporary artworks, but are really deeply inspired by historic objects and historic practices.

In the works curated for this biennale, faith is resonant in the artists’ method of practice, regardless of their own faith or background. For example, the work of South African artist Igshaan Adams, who works collectively, weaving his tapestries together with a group of women from his home community.

The subject matter of his work is Islamic, but there's also something of a meditative nature in the way that he practises, and this repetitive action of weaving is also a kind of spiritual practice. So, we chose artists who have something of a spiritual nature that comes from the faith in their practice.

Who do you see as the main audience(s) for the Biennale?

My hope is that this biennale is an opportunity to invite audiences to reflect on ritual, the sacred, the personal and the communal - to build on that definition and to think through what Islamic Arts means and can mean, for now and for the future. We have seen a true cross-section of Jeddah come to experience the biennale – for many, this is their first experience of art in a setting like this in their own context – we have seen young and old people alike return to the biennale with their families. It has also been very special to witness pilgrims come over from the functioning airport across the road.

I have been avalanched with generous messages from people who came to the opening of the biennale. Many of these messages expressed a wish for the biennale to be in the West so that non-Muslims can access it and learn more about Islam, and see it presented in this way: deeply personal expressions from our artists about our ways of being.

As much as this biennale is an open hand and an invitation for all – east, west, north, south – the power of seeing ourselves represented in this way is also at the heart of the project.

I hope to convey the generativity of Islamic thinking and practice and the diversity and breadth of the Muslim world through the biennale. The philosophies of the Islamic faith offer the potential to think about the future differently. I am thinking beyond the stylistic traditions that have been called Islamic arts, and I have a deep interest in making a contribution to the canon here, to learn from how the philosophies of Islam and how the life of being a Muslim can inspire creativity and creative thinking.

There are an infinity of untold stories, unheard voices to be told, retold, made and remade.

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**Summary Report: Traditional Glassblowing in Syria**

**Historical Background and Features**
Syria, particularly the city of Damascus, is renowned for its ancient glassblowing tradition.

Title:

Content: Izhora Culture Centre in Vistino: from mittens to pottery
Participants of the project “From a needlewoman to a manufacturer of souvenirs ”, organized by the non-profit organization“ Planet of Good ” from p.
Siversky, visited the Museum of Izhora Culture in the village of Vistino, Kingisepp district.
The purpose of the trip was to get acquainted with the deeds and fruits of the hands of the masters of the Soykin Peninsula.
Category: Culture
Within the framework of the project “From needlework to the manufacturer of souvenirs ”, lectures, master classes in needlework and field classes are held.
The main goal of the project is the production of high-quality souvenir products for guests of the Leningrad region and, in particular, the Gatchina district.
One of these outbound classes was a trip of the project participants to the Soykin Peninsula, to the village of Vistino, where a unique ethnographic complex is located - the Museum of Izhora Culture.
The participants of the project got acquainted with the way of life and life of the indigenous peoples of the Soykin region, with the Izhora master knitters, visited the pottery workshop.
But the main topic of the lesson was a kind of master class on turning their own products into sought-after souvenirs by tourists and locals.
Features of national tourism on the Soykin Peninsula
On the way to the village of Vistino, the project participants listened to a small lecture on the ways to develop the tourism industry in the current realities.
The tourism industry is currently actively focused on domestic tourism, and it, like any other type of tourism, has many components - from logistics and services to the purchase of local products, in particular, souvenirs.
And in this sense, the trip to the Soykin Peninsula was very important.
Izhora Museum is known not only for its wonderful local lore exposition, but also for the fact that it is a launching pad for the development of creativity and folk crafts.
According to the staff of the museum, it is with the history of cultural heritage that any initiative aimed at the future can begin.
The Soykin Peninsula is located more than a hundred kilometers west of St. Petersburg.
The indigenous inhabitants of the peninsula are representatives of the Finno-Ugric Izhora people.
Here you can still hear the Izhora speech, the famous Izhora singing, join the national traditions of this people.
The village of Vistino is considered a kind of unofficial Izhora capital of our days.
It is here, on the border of two villages - Vistino and Ruchya, that the ethnographic museum of the history and life of the Izhora people is located.
According to the director of the Izhora Museum Elena Kostrova, it was formed in 1993, in the former building of the primary school.
In 2015, a young creative team came to the museum, and life in the whole district literally turned around.
- In fact, we are not museum workers by profession, we all have different education, - says Elena Kostrova. - I am by profession - a director, our master potter Dmitry Tkachev - a teacher, a teacher of art, drawing and technology.
Our guide Nikita Dyachkov is a culturologist who has Izhora roots and knows Izhora language.
We do all this with our own hands and work.
For five years, the sponsor watched the actions of our team, only then offered his help.
We had to develop one of the directions – pottery, which once flourished here in the Yamburg district, on the territory of the village of Big Aspiration.
The sponsors helped us build a pottery center.
In 2020, the governor of the Leningrad region, Alexander Drozdenko, came to open it, who twisted his first plate here with his own hand.
There will never be support for nothing, and no one will notice you.
You have to do something first...
Land of fishermen and needlewomen
Currently, the museum space in the village of Vistino includes two wooden buildings.
In one of them there is an ethnographic museum with an attic for classes and conferences.
In another building, the Izhora Language and Skills Center is located.
The main exposition is located in two halls on the first floor of the museum building.
The participants of the Gatchina project got acquainted with the history and culture of Izhora, traditions of local life and way of life, folk crafts and crafts.
All the exhibits were produced in different ways.
Most of them were brought by people from their homes, and some were found in burial grounds, which are enough on the Soykin Peninsula.
The age of some archaeological finds is hundreds and thousands of years.
A significant place in the exhibition is occupied by items related to marine fishing, which is not surprising: for Izhora it was the most important fishery for more than one hundred years.
- Almost all the idols were engaged in fishing, - says Elena Kostrova. - Here were strong dynasties, fishermen for a long time went to the sea.
They lived in boardhouses, women gave birth to children there, and all the Izhortsy therefore were strong, healthy, tall, strong.
By the way, on the Soykin Peninsula at one time flourished well-known throughout the country fishing collective farm "Baltika", which in recent years, unfortunately, fell into decline.
While men were fishing, women were engaged in housework and needlework.
On the Soykin Peninsula, oats, flax and some other crops were grown.
The museum presents samples of linen products with a unique ornamental embroidery, made in red and blue colors.
How an ordinary mitten became a regional souvenir
Particular attention of the participants of the Gatchina project was attracted by the stand with a collection of mittens with a variety of ornaments, each of which has its own history and meaning.
As Elena Kostrova said, ornamental knitting is another iconic tradition of the Soykin Peninsula.
- Everyone kept sheep here, everyone knitted, - says Elena Ivanovna. - Mittens and socks were made of coarse wool - warm and prickly.
Women preserved and transmitted the memory of the traditional Izhora ornaments, the variety of which is represented on these mittens.
Once these ornaments were a kind of language: for example, from the ornament of the mittens it was possible to find out from which family the daughter-in-law came.
Izhora Museum is a participant of the large-scale project “Villaväki – Woolen People ”, which is aimed at preserving and developing traditional occupations of the indigenous peoples of the Leningrad region, related to the processing of wool and the manufacture of clothing, toys and household items made of wool.
In Vistino, a program for the revival of traditional ornaments and knitting mittens "Ornaments Izhora Soykinsky Krai" has been implemented for several years.
- At first, we had only five old ornaments and three participants in the project, - says Elena Kostrova. - In fact, we carried out the reconstruction of these ornaments.
To date, we have more than thirty women who have become good, strong masters themselves.
They knit at home, go to fairs and sell their products.
By the way, the largest fair on the territory of the museum is the festival of Izhora culture, which takes place in July.
Many of the Izhora masters are already under ninety years old.
They not only knit socks and mittens, but also work to preserve the unique culture of ancient peoples, creating on the basis of museum samples of traditional knitting copies of Finnish, water, Izhora objects.
Some of them work, as they say, “from the Sokha ”.
So, for example, the participant of the project Valentina Vasilyevna herself breeds and grows sheep, sheds them, processes wool, spins it on a real spinning wheel, and then knits wonderful mittens.
The participants of the Gatchina project were pleased to meet Valentina Vasilyevna, who held a small master class on spinning wool for them.
The librarian of the Kobrin school Anna Surina has a special interest in this process.
- My grandmother constantly spun dog and sheep wool, - she says. - Now I have a dream to learn how to spin with a spindle and a spinning wheel.
I've already started buying equipment and got Angora rabbits.
Currently, souvenirs from natural materials - wood and wool are in great demand.
The master in the pottery
Near the Center of Izhora Language and Craftsmanship, under glass caps are samples of ceramics made in the Soyka pottery workshop.
In the workshop itself, work is constantly boiling - potter Dmitry Tkachev works here.
Pottery production has always been an integral part of the traditional culture of the Izhora people.
The main production of this fishery was in the village of Big Aspiration, where by the beginning of the XX century there were about a hundred workshops.
In 2014, the Izhora Museum began research and practical work to revive the pottery of the Soykin region.
Unfortunately, the culture of burning the Great Aspiration is lost today, and there are practically no masters left.
Dmitry Tkachev is engaged in the reconstruction of pottery, not only preserving the forms of traditional pottery, which have reached us, but also recreating them literally from archaeological fragments.
There is only one departure from traditional fishing: the improvement of clay processing technology.
Products of the workshop "Soyka" can be seen at the exhibition of ceramics of gas firing and at the stands of the photo exhibition "Graphics".
At the same time, on the territory of the Izhora Museum, programs are being implemented to teach children and young people pottery and the Izhora language.
What unites us
Gatchina craftsmen were greatly impressed by what they saw in the Center of Izhora Culture.
Someone gathered new ideas and began to better understand how to establish their own production of souvenir products.
Someone was pleased with the scale of Soikin residents, whose activities have long been of serious interest to tourist structures - even despite the difficulties of travel to this remote corner of the region.
- A very interesting museum, - says the head of the Kartashevsky patchwork club "Sudarushki" Anna Gradovich. - What we have seen is in Russian culture, and at the same time we see some differences.
Something we take from the ijor, something they take from us.
It is very important now to talk about the different nationalities of Russia, about what unites us, not divides us.
It is important to bring our cultures together.
This is what happens when we communicate, when we listen to each other, delving into the culture, traditions and history of each nation – albeit through needlework.
In general, the topic itself - "From needlewomen to souvenir manufacturers" - is very interesting and promising.
Women in our club are creative, but sometimes we do not understand how to apply, to realize our skills and talents.
We sew for ourselves, have already supplied our products to all relatives and friends.
But the person still reaches for creativity and continues to do something.
Our project helps us to think creatively and understand where and how to apply our creativity, how to sell our products, which can be in demand in our cultural centers, museums, at holidays...
Julia Lysanyuk

Glassmaking in Syria dates back nearly 4,000 years, with evidence of glass artifacts found from the late Bronze Age.

Title:

Content: NEWS CRIMEA
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Ancient felt craft taught in the Crimea
A workshop on arts and crafts was held in the Kirov region.
Everyone was able to master the basics of the ancient felt craft.
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By the first century BCE, Syrian craftsmen are believed to have pioneered the technique of glassblowing, transforming glass production by introducing the use of a blowpipe.

Title:

Content: Shamaili Chulpan Sharifullina and Alfiya Iskhakova – on glass, on canvas and paper
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Today, the exhibition “Shamaili Chulpan Sharifullina and Alfiya Iskhakova ” has started its work in the Museum of Islamic Culture.
The exhibition introduces the work of two masters involved in the art of traditional shamail.
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This innovation allowed for a much faster process and more varied, delicate glass shapes.

Damascus soon became a vital Mediterranean hub for glass production and trade.

Title:

Content: The project "Light and color" is implemented in Tyumen
12: 34 01 October 2022
The project "Light and Color" of the Tyumen regional public association "Guild of Masters" won a presidential grant in the amount of 460 thousand rubles.
They will be sent for the purchase of equipment and materials for the creation of stained glass products.
These are glass cutters, glass breakers, breakers, soldering irons, grinding machine, foil smoothers.
This Tyumen line was reported by the chairman of the "Guild of masters" Inna Gaiduk.
Within the framework of the project, 48 master classes will be held, their participants will be more than 60 young residents of the region from 11 to 14 years old.
"For the students of the Gymnasium of Russian Culture, we hold master classes, where we create pendants, mirrors, panels, lamps in stained glass technology, including elements of the flora and fauna of the Tyumen region," Inna added.
She explained that at first the guys cut out the details from the glass, then they are polished to fit to a given template, wrapped with foil and soldered.
It all depends on the complexity and size of the products.
Hangers on the curtain 10-15 cm children are made in two classes.
If there are a lot of elements, time takes longer.
For example, a peacock, where there are a lot of details.
Glass products are bought by local residents, as well as connoisseurs from Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Tags: project
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November, 2022

Traditional Syrian glassblowing is characterized by its use of recycled glass, vibrant colors, and the creation of both utilitarian and decorative items such as lamps, vases, goblets, and intricately designed bottles.

Syrian glass often features unique hand-painted decorations and motifs inspired by geometric and vegetal designs, reflecting the country’s deep artistic heritage and Islamic aesthetics.

**Cultural Importance**
Glassblowing in Syria has been more than a craft—it is a symbol of the nation’s artisan spirit and inventiveness.

Traditional family workshops have passed glassblowing secrets down generations, and the craft has long been part of wedding celebrations, communal festivities, and daily life.

Damascus glassware is celebrated as a cultural emblem in Syrian homes, embodying both functionality and beauty.

**Current Status**
Today, the craft faces a serious threat.

Title:

Content: NEWS CRIMEA
510 followers
Ancient felt craft taught in the Crimea
A workshop on arts and crafts was held in the Kirov region.
Everyone was able to master the basics of the ancient felt craft.
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Picture of the day
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In recent decades, but especially since the onset of the Syrian civil war, the number of practicing glassblowers has drastically declined.

Title:

Content: News section
The “fourth dimension ” of Vitaly Skobeev: what will be the transitional age of mankind
In the gallery "Dom-Art" opened an exposition of philosophical paintings of Kazan painter Vitaly Skobeev.
The work of the Honored Artist of Tatarstan has always been distinguished by a particularly close interest in mythology, biblical subjects and religions of different peoples.
Working in the style of symbolism, he seeks to combine all the best created in the most diverse areas of human life.
It brings to the fore the philosophical questions that every person is asked at a certain period of life.
This is evidenced by the names of his paintings - "The Creation of Man", "The Birth of the Soul", "The Tree of Life".
More details in the material "Real time".
Tips from the past and the future are not for everyone
Vitaly Skobeev combined in this exhibition works from different series - "Annunciation", "Mythology", "Teachers" and "Tablets of Space", adding to the already known, exhibited paintings and new, which, in fact, lead to the theme of the exhibition - "The Fourth Dimension".
The meaning of the name is that the three-dimensional, regardless of our will and desire, gradually disappears.
In fact, only those who expand and change their creation will be able to enter the future, and the events of recent years confirm this.
For a long time I had planned to make an exhibition, but like many, the pandemic broke our plans.
Perhaps now the time has come, ” said Vitaly Skobeev.
According to esotericists, now the development of mankind has come to the point where it is necessary to make a choice: the old world or the new era.
We end our lives in the third dimension, that is, in the material world, in order to move into the fifth, truly spiritual, with different values and aspirations.
Why not the fourth?
Because it is impossible to make such a leap in one leap, a transitional period is required, that is, a gradual change.
Thus, the theme of the exhibition can be interpreted both as “the transitional age of mankind ”, and as clues in the way from the sages of the past, and the future spiritual beauty that will open to a person if he is able to take this step.
Reasoning, of course, difficult, but so far the ideas of the artist can simply be felt, having come, to be silent near his paintings.
Fathers and children
Vitaly Skobeev was born in the family of the famous artist and socialist realist Valery Nikolaevich Skobeev, a graduate of the Kazan Art College named after Nikolai Feshin and the Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Ilya Repin.
The young painter studied in the traditions of the academic art system, but did not remain within the framework of the realistic direction, preferring his own individual style and author ’ s artistic style.
At one point, a conflict between fathers and children was brewing in the family, but seeing how contemporaries evaluate the work of his son, Valery Nikolaevich retreated and even began to help him.
My father always told me that the basis of everything is harmony, in it beauty, through which you can influence people.
Look, harmony is everywhere – in music and architecture, even mathematicians appreciate a beautiful formula or theory.
If we talk about my art, it is at the junction of esotericism, religion and science.
And look - now all these spheres seem to unite, returning to their origins.
Physicists, for example, make discoveries that were once written in the Vedas, the artist reflects.
All at the right time
It is difficult for Vitaly Skobeev to say how much time it takes to create one work.
Sometimes, pictures are written quickly, sometimes you have to postpone work, because the final idea is not “crystallized ”, you need to take a pause“ to think ”:
First, a general idea comes to me, then, starting to work, I begin to fill it with details.
Look at the picture "Tree of Life" - I have collected an image of this symbol from all nationalities of different times and beliefs.
They are like bricks of a common tree, similar to a castle or fortress.
Its roots go to infinity, and upwards it tends to the sky, the highest mind, the purest energy.
The artist in the broad sense of the word, like the great scientist, is often associated with something mystical.
It unites us.
Remember, Beethoven said that the music comes to him in a finished form, he only writes it down, Mendeleev his table at all dreamed.
Perhaps we are guides, at least we should strive for this.
The higher forces see everything and give us something only at the right moment.
As they say, “The teacher comes when the student is ready. ”
Delayed Journey and Teachers
It is interesting that the artist himself has not yet managed to go on a pilgrimage to Nepal or live in an ashram in India - he postponed everything, and now it is difficult to plan at all.
And you have to constantly think about the daily bread.
“I see a special meaning in self-restraint, I find pleasure in a certain maximalism.
Like everyone else, I find a compromise between the material and the spiritual.
Ask and it will be given to you, as they say in the Bible, ” admitted Vitaly Skobeev.
In his knowledge and creativity, Vitaly Skobeev also relies on great teachers, who often act as heroes of his paintings.
Pythagoras and Diogenes, Paul Florensky and Helena Blavatsky, the Roerichs and Sri Aurobindo - their teachings slide through the entire vernissage, they are dedicated, in particular, to the cycle "Teachers".
The connection of the upper world and the earthly world, according to the artist, is carried out through the Messengers, who, in accordance with the plan of the Universe, are sent to people throughout the history of mankind to convey the sacred knowledge of Eternity.
The series includes works dedicated to Plato, Diogenes, Confucius, Buddha, the Old Testament prophet Moses, Leonardo da Vinci and others.
Myths and space
The cycle "Mythology" includes works on mythological subjects of various peoples and world cultures: Ancient Greece, Egypt, India, myths and legends of the Middle Ages.
According to the author, myths of all times and peoples have a common origin and are the key to knowledge about life.
The paintings of the cycle, for example, “Adam and Eve ”,“ Orpheus and Eurydice ”, “The Death of Atlantis ”,“ The Swan and Leda ” touch upon the issues of the creation of the world and the origin of mankind, themes that are the leitmotif of the entire creativity of Vitaly Skobeev.
The cycle of the “Tablets of Cosmos ” contains a metaphorical understanding of those laws and postulates that were sent and sent to humanity in different forms and types, the laws by which the entire outer space is arranged and by which humanity must live and develop.
The paintings of this cycle have a single compositional solution - in the upper part of the canvas, cosmogonic projects, the work of the Cosmos are depicted, and below - the course of earthly evolution, the stages of human development, the embodiment of the "Global Plan" about it.
Update for Easter
On Friday, the exhibition held a re-exposition, and the whole first floor was occupied by the cycle "Blagovest".
This was done specifically for the celebration of Orthodox Easter.
Traditionally, the word "gospel" is called the ringing of a large church bell, announcing the beginning of worship.
The theme of the outgoing life, folk customs and patriarchal order will remind the viewer of the eternal spiritual values accumulated by our ancestors, values, preserving which, a person is able to cultivate purity and spirituality in himself.
The works of this cycle - "Life-Being", "Spring Equinox", "Apple Saved", "Sacred Spring" immerse the viewer in the original world of folk life, its traditional way of life.
The exhibition runs until May 3.
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Anna Tarletskaya, photo by Rinat Nazmetdinov
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Once-thriving workshops in Damascus have dwindled to a handful, with estimates suggesting fewer than five traditional glassblowing families remaining as of the early 2020s.

Factors threatening the craft include destruction of workshops due to conflict, scarcity of materials, displacement of artisans, and competition from inexpensive mass-produced glass—both domestically and from abroad.

**UNESCO’s Urgent Safeguarding**
The seriousness of these threats led UNESCO in 2023 to include "The tradition of glassblowing in Damascus" on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Title:

Content: Within the framework of the new project of the International Mugham Center "Azerbaijani Mugham", master classes "Ustad dərsi" dedicated to the performing art of playing the container are continuing.
Another lesson of the famous tarist and teacher Elkhan Muzaffarov was dedicated to mugham "Nava", which is performed extremely rarely and is known to a few music connoisseurs, is one of the little-studied and forgotten mugams, reports Day.Az.
The master noted that despite the fact that the mugham "Nava" is included in the curriculum, there are a small number of performers who know this mugham with accuracy.
Among the performers of "Nava" can be noted the names of outstanding performers Akhmed Bakikhanov, Bahram Mansurov, as well as performers of our time Vamig Mammadaliyev and Sabukha Jafarov.
This mugham is on the list of complex mugams.
The master also mentioned that in addition to originality during instrumental performance, mugham "Nava" has originality and during the performance of his hanende, also requires extensive experience in musical skill.
Elkhan Muzaffarov informed the participants about the differences of mugham "Nava" from other mugams and noted that it arose as a result of the merger of several mugams, includes "Dashti" and "Bayaty-Kurd" and has a more ancient history than dastgah "Shur".
During the session, which was remembered by interesting and informative discussions and analysis of mugham participants and the technique of their execution, problems regarding gaps in the teaching of mugham dastgah were touched upon, as well as sections "Nava", transitions between sections and additional tones were discussed.
The purpose of the project is to preserve and pass on to future generations of the Azerbaijani school of classical performance, to preserve the tradition of "mentor-pupil".
In the master classes, which will be held regularly throughout the year, it is planned to participate prominent representatives of the performing arts on the container.
Participation in the master classes is free and anyone can take part in them.
Information support - Trend.Az, Day.Az, Milli.Az
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The listing recognizes that if current trends continue, the craft could disappear within a generation.

The reasons for the urgent status include:
- The acute risk of loss due to war, migration, and economic hardship
- The decline in both practitioners and interest among younger Syrians
- Loss of specialized knowledge of recipes, techniques, and forms passed down orally and through apprenticeship
- The cultural impoverishment that would follow the disappearance of such a distinctive and influential artform

**Conclusion**
Syrian glassblowing is a treasure of world heritage, blending centuries-old tradition with unique technical skills and artistry.

Its preservation is not only crucial for Syria but for the broader history of craftsmanship and global culture.

The demonstration today connects us to this remarkable heritage and spotlights the need to protect and celebrate living traditions before they are lost forever.

Title:

Content: Latest news rubric Society
Society
The exhibition of NHP products of the Nizhny Novgorod region is organized in the Syrian province of Latakia
07 June 2023 09: 26 [87] Society
Photo: press service of the government of the Nizhny Novgorod region
The exhibition of NHP products of the Nizhny Novgorod region is organized in the Syrian province of Latakia.
Representatives of JSC "Khokhloma painting" and LLC "Koval", which produces knives, held master classes for children and adults in the province of Latakia as part of the visit of the delegation of the Nizhny Novgorod region to the Syrian Arab Republic.
The events are organized in the house of culture of Latakia, where young participants tried themselves in the painting of traditional nesting dolls, and adult guests watched the process of making and decorating the knife.
“In terms of the richness of folk arts, the region occupies a leading place in Russia, and we consider it especially important to introduce them to our partners from other countries.
The language of creativity is a universal language that is understandable anywhere in the world, so the participants liked master-classes on painting dolls and knife making, ” said Sergey Yakovlev, Minister of Tourism and Crafts of the Nizhny Novgorod Region.
He expressed hope that in the future Syria will revive its unique crafts and present them at Nizhny Novgorod sites within the framework of thematic festivals of folk art crafts.
In addition, the opening of the exhibition "Where the dream meets" by the famous Nizhny Novgorod artist Natalia Pankova took place.
The guests are presented with 30 paintings - from unusual portraits to original abstractions.
"There are a lot of guests, people who are not indifferent, interested in art.
Among them are Syrians – those who once studied in the USSR and are still interested in what is happening in Russia, musicians and artists from Latakia.
In addition, the exhibition was visited by our compatriots.
Reviews are the most positive, one of the comments: "Looking at your work I want to live."
Isn ’ t this the most important thing that the artist can hear from people who survived the war and the recent earthquake? ” shared Natalia Pankova.
Recall that the delegation of the Nizhny Novgorod region under the leadership of Deputy Governor Peter Bannikov is on a visit to the Syrian Arab Republic from 4 to 9 June.
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Here are the key summarized points relevant to the traditional craft of Syrian glassblowing, extracted from the provided text:

- Damascus is renowned as the **incubator for many traditional industries**, including one of the oldest Syrian crafts—glassblowing.

Title:

Content: (Hakawati) Drama of the beautiful time and nice Ramadan evenings
Damascus-Sana
The image presented to us by the visual space through its channels, which compete strongly for the premiere of its dramas in Ramadan, is only a natural evolution of an art that began more than a hundred years ago, based on the story, using the efforts of one hero, the storyteller, how did the art of storytelling begin?
RAMADAN NIGHTS
A storyteller, storyteller, storyteller or storyteller, by definition, is a person who has been a storyteller in homes, shops and cafes, who used to crowd around people in the past, not only telling the story in constant interaction with his audience, but motivated by enthusiasm to embody the role of the character that he tells about with movement and voice.
Hakawati is a profession that relied on one character, the character of the storyteller, she possessed her own treasure of diversity and difference, and she roams the psychological character in all respects and depends on the extension and prolongation of the story so that it turns into a night series that can cover the days of the month of Ramadan.
Folk cafes are a theater for storytellers
With his voice and image, Hakawati is the alonis of the Ramadan evenings, telling stories of heroism and manhood in front of a group of people in the popular cafes. Mohammed Khair Kilani, who for thirty years embodied the role of Hakawati in the Ramadan evenings of Homs, showed that the popular cafes were the center of Hakawati and his stories were linked to the holy month. She, they follow attentively his movements and his interaction with the storytelling and sometimes embodying the role of her characters.
Al-Hakawati is a character, according to Kilani, was once considered a means of collective entertainment and education for the real and fictional stories of heroism and the promotion of moral values and positive behaviors, pointing to the most famous tales known (Antara, Al-Zir Salem, Al-Himma, and Strange Beni Hilal) and others.
The origin of the folk tale
The East was the source of popular tales, as most studies and researches in the field of the history of the emergence of the folk tale, and the opinions differ between those who consider the Arab East the source of the tale and its origin as the Babylonians, Assyrians and Pharaohs, and between Persia and India is the origin of the tale, and then moved from it to Mesopotamia according to the book of the popular tale between the past and the present by Mustafa Muhammad Ali Mystic.
The popular tale was known in the Arab heritage early on, as the books of Tabari, Isfahani, Masoudi, Ibn Kathir and others gathered many of these tales, which were known in the pre-Islamic era and what followed, mixed with the traditions and news of kings, as well as what was deposited in the collective memory of old news and facts.
It was formed in the beginnings in the public circles did not take care of anyone of the private, except as a kind of nice Asmar, and in the second century AH accounted for the interest of news and poets and writers, especially in the Abbasid era where translated Ibn al-Maqba book (Kalila and Damna) and increased interest in the third and fourth centuries, and mentioned historian Hamza Esfahani that it was in his era of books of the brown hands circulation Of the seventy books, books on the Hadiths of Sinbad and the Snail and the Mouse also appeared during the period when there was a wide discussion about the introduction of the tales of One Thousand and One Nights into the Arab heritage.
It ’ s a job that doesn ’ t die in Damascus.
In 1990, Rasheed al-Hakawati al-Damascene revived the profession of Hakawati at the coffee shop (al-Nawfra) at the request of the owner of the coffee shop Abu Saleh al-Rabat grandfather and the heads of religious rituals, where they decided to serve it after the Maghreb prayer until the Isha ’ an to be served in Ramadan after the Taraweeh prayer.
Hakawati Al-Sham Rashid Al-Hallaq started the art of Hakawati for the intangible cultural heritage since 1990 and continued until 2014 at the Nofra Café and was presenting stories that combine lessons and awareness, where he dealt with the story of the apparent King Bebars, Antra bin Shadad Al-Absi and many others.
On this subject, Shadi Alhallaq, Jr., spoke in a statement to SANA correspondent, saying that the tourist delegations had a permanent stop in the cafe to attend the Hakawati and take commemorative pictures with him, pointing to the works of his father Rashid, which exceeded the Syrian borders, where he participated in the Jerash Festival in Jordan in 1992 and until 1995 on the theater of sound and light. Hump, participated with the UNESCO Committee of the Medleheart Project for the Protection of the Heritage of the Mediterranean Countries in 2010.
Shadi the barber deepened his father ’ s career and began searching for the mythical and historical stories loved by the audience of storytellers from Syrian cafes and collected handwritten books and restored them as the story of One Thousand and One Nights and the sword of the son of Yazan. The French Institute for Middle Eastern Studies printed the story of the apparent king Bebars with the help of his father to explain some words and their meanings.
The son of the barber pointed to the heritage treasure that he found during the search operations, which was written in a coded language, which he discovered that it is a tent of Karkouz and preachers of Syria, where his father explained to him how to present and make them of leather, colors, ways of moving and the names of the pieces and their recipes to present the first presentation of shadow fiction in the presence of a group of shadow fiction.
Shadi Alhallaq practiced this profession with the art of Hakawati until it was classified by UNESCO on the list of urgent conservation in cooperation with the Syrian Secretariat for Development and provided a workshop to teach 22 students to make shadow and animation and teach them the basics of the profession and traditional craft.
Hereditary career:
Shadi went on to turn the Hakawati profession into a continuous work project for him and his children, pointing out that it is his profession that he loves and he continued in it after the death of his father in 2014 and continued the journey of Hakawati Al-Sham with the shadow imagination and currently his children learn this art.
Jawad bin Rashid, the oldest barber, has performed shadow fiction since he was nine years old at Qasr al-Azm Theater in the festival of (grandparents to grandchildren) and now he is 10 years old has more than 40 shadow fiction shows, the youngest of them and helps his father manufacture pieces and make presentations.
Eight-year-old Rashid is also learning the profession of storyteller and shadow fiction, and five-year-old Jad is driven by his passion for shadow fiction, which he drinks from his family, to provide dialogues at home and for the family.
Hakawati is a comprehensive artist:
Hakawati Ammar Jarrah says in a statement to SANA correspondent: The character of Hakawati is a historical figure known from the immaterial heritage inherited from generation to generation, and he has been working in this field since 2000 and every year of the month of Ramadan appears in this character to protect it from extinction, like the shadow imagination (Karkouz and Ewaz), and the world fund to remain in memory.
Al-Jarrah pointed out that he is working on developing it to suit the people ’ s desire through his presence with his audience in traditional restaurants and cafes, choosing local stories that carry humor and interest to the public in addition to the presence of an oriental takht to play music, and the presentation of the Mesharati segment.
Tarek Ali, one of the listeners of the storytellers, said that the choice of the presence of storytellers for the folklore stories and the stories of his heroes revives the beautiful times, where he catches their eyes with the tone of his voice, which rises and falls in harmony with the course of events and the enthusiasm contained in his story.
Lawyer Rana Bakbashi found in the character of Hakawati a return to the revival of the immaterial heritage, and to create an atmosphere of love and harmony, and a little away from the pressures of life in addition to attracting the young generation to listen to the championships of Antra and Abu Zaid al-Hilali and learn the values of chivalry and Arab ethics.
Economic and Heritage Project
Hakawati is not only a profession, but the details of the owner of the profession carry with it a growing economic importance in the Syrian society, starting from the clothes of Hakawati, which includes a dark red cowl on the head and a bra made of hand looms and long Shami pants. The zenar is a roll of Damasco fabric, Damasco brocade, in addition to a shawl on the shoulders of silk and an Arabic jacket called Damer. The silk belly is as black as the trousers are black and the storytellers sit in the public cafes on a chair that represents the work of the hands of the Damascene craftsmen of carved wood and mosaic restaurant with seashells.
These details represent traditional heritage crafts bearing the distinctive Syrian character of Damascene brocade, Aghbani mosaic, engraving and engraving on wood and shells, explained by the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Syrian Development Society Ramal Saleh, indicating that this heritage has become a development project for many Syrian families through the project (Orient House for Heritage) launched by the Society with the support of the Syrian Trust for Development, which includes 13 artisans. Zain, whose workshops were destroyed by the terrorist war on Syria, was collected in an old Arab house with an area of about 750 meters, and provided them with production tools and requirements to preserve the cultural and cultural heritage and their production is present in external and local exhibitions.
Saleh pointed out that the Aghbani industry is also one of the most important projects of the Association, which was established at the end of 2017, which brings together women affected by the war in Douma city in Damascus countryside, where it started with four women to include 450 women within four years.
As for the Damascus brocade, Saleh pointed out that it is one of the finest and most luxurious fabrics in the world, as it is woven from natural silk threads extracted from silkworm cocoons, a luxurious fabric woven on the hand loom and added to it golden and silver threads. Damascus is known as the incubator of this industry, which is one of the oldest Syrian industries.
Saleh added that the Damascene brocade reflects the culture, nature and history of the region through the drawings called princesses or Damascene cloth and its threads woven the most beautiful paintings and prints such as the lover and the mahshooq, Salahuddin, Romeo, Juliet, Damascus rose and Damascus jasmine. The brocade is expensive because of the difficulty of extracting natural silk and the presence of silver and gold threads inside.
Saleh said that Damascus included several factories for the production of Damascus brocade, the most famous of which was the Naasan factory for handicrafts near Bab Sharqi. The importance of Naasan Palace with the factory lies in the fact that its founder is one of the mosaic and brocade artists, the young Georges Naasan, who built the factory in 1720 in Bab Sharqi to pour his leadership in the mosaic school itself.
Muhasen Awad - Rasham Mahrez - Tamam Al-Hassan - Alaa Al-Shehabi
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The storytellers...
An authentic Ramadan heritage

This city has long been a center for artisanal production using techniques handed down through generations.

- Traditional Syrian crafts, such as Ajami art, brocade weaving, and Sarr Al-Qaz (silk spinning), are highlighted as **arts at risk of extinction**.

Title:

Content: The last of the princesses.
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
© Sputnik.
Mohammad DamourShamsa Bilal, the last of the princesses..
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
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Shamsa Bilal leads the hall of Khan Asaad Pasha, an old and different woman, nestled inside her head with soft, colorful silk threads that weave them and pass through them traces of those who were here before.
Sixty years ago, these silk threads wrapped themselves as soon as they were touched by Anamel Shamsa, who stands today to plunge into her memories and come out opening a hole in the wall of the souls of twelve women sitting in front of her, imparting the secrets of the captivating “silk cricket ” profession that seeped into their souls.
Mrs. Shamsa is now the last professional of the Silk Screen..
This description stores a human journey that appears among the silk strands of Syrian history for thousands of years, and the colors of its strands store a personal life story with all its sweetness and bitterness.
© Sputnik.
Mohammad DamourShamsa Bilal, the last of the princesses..
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The last of the princesses.
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
As a princess and guardian of history, Shamsa sits on the throne of Syrian silk, but this dramatic picture is not without tragic glimpses. Today, she stands on the doorsteps of her castle as the last pure dynasties do, lest her throne be transformed into the ruins of the future.
Afaf al-Nabwani, a plastic artist and member of the National Association for the Development of Tourism in Syria, was the author of the idea, as he drew her attention through the internal tourism tours held by the association to produce silk in the city of Hama, specifically the craft of “Sarr al-Qaz ”, which means binding silk threads produced by the silkworm, a craft that is dying in Syria.
© Sputnik.
Mohammad DamourShamsa Bilal, the last of the princesses..
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The last of the princesses.
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
Al-Nabwani told Sputnik that Sarr Al-Qaz is an ancient Syrian craft, where it was made of silkworm silk Hamwi folklore, and this silk was spread throughout the Syrian geography, and its workers produced more than 72 different types, and the city of Palmyra was a center for the production of silk, which was distributed to the countries of the world through the famous Silk Road. Its high durability and health benefits, ancient producers called it "second skin" because of its health benefits, especially for people with skin allergies.
“During my visit to the city of Hama, I met Mrs. Shamsa Bilal, who is the last person to practice the craft of Sarr Al-Qaz, and I came to the need to preserve this craft from extinction and thus cooperate with Mrs. Shamsa to teach the profession of Sarr Al-Qaz to a number of trainees wishing to learn it. ”
© Sputnik.
Mohammad DamourShamsa Bilal, the last of the princesses..
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The last of the princesses.
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
As for the education course of Sarr Al-Qaz, which is hosted by one of Syria ’ s most prominent heritage landmarks, Khan Asad Pasha, Al-Nabwani revealed that all 12 trainees are interested in silk and aware of its value and have pre-hand skills in dealing with these materials.
On the other hand, the artist Afaf al-Nabwani talked about the role of silk in supporting the Syrian economy, pointing out that if more attention is paid to the production and manufacture of silk will be one of the most important tributaries of the local economy. In the past, silk was traded for gold. C among them.
© Sputnik.
Mohammad DamourShamsa Bilal, the last of the princesses..
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The last of the princesses.
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
Mrs. Shamsa Bilal, the last practitioner of silk sorting, sits at her table, carrying her eighty years with all her experiences and memories, linking her with twelve trainees and linking silk threads together, to weave a new generation of enthusiasts to practice this ancient profession and keep it from disappearing.
The smile on Ms. Shamsa ’ s face reveals how happy she is to be among the trainees and how responsive they are to her, “I teach the ladies here this ancient craft so that it doesn ’ t go extinct, and I ’ m thrilled to see them hand-knit silk threads of all colors and shapes, ” she said.
© Sputnik.
Mohammad DamourShamsa Bilal, the last of the princesses..
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The last of the princesses.
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The octogenarian woman recalls when she learned this profession at the hands of her mother-in-law and worked in it 60 years ago, when every bride in the city prepared a silk dress in her "apparatus", that is, the bride 's clothes after marriage, and the women gathered to make it. Some of them were in charge of tying silk threads and forming it into pieces of cloth, and others were tailoring and sewing. It enables employees to live a comfortable life.
© Sputnik.
Mohammad DamourShamsa Bilal, the last of the princesses..
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The last of the princesses.
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The participants in the Sarr Al-Qaz course had their opinion regarding this ancient craft, where the artist Alissa Sharabiya, a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts, confirmed that she wants to practice the profession of silk production because it is a Syrian heritage and learning it is an important gain for those who are proud of the heritage of his country.
Sharabiya was not the only one to be proud of her love of ancient Syrian heritage, as artist Jelnar Hamdan, who is also a graduate of the Faculty of Fine Arts, pointed out that the profession of sorghuz is a dying profession and it is up to us as new generations to preserve it because it is our heritage.
© Sputnik.
Mohammad DamourShamsa Bilal, the last of the princesses..
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
The last of the princesses.
Syrian eighties flirted with the “silk palace ” for 60 years
Twelve Syrian women are proud of their country ’ s heritage and identity, taking it upon themselves to preserve this heritage and pass it on to future generations who will preserve it and the identity of a country that has always been proud of its children.
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The text gives several examples of heritage crafts now maintained by just a handful of practitioners—for instance, Mrs. Shamsa Bilal, identified as the last person practicing the Sarr Al-Qaz craft.

- **Heritage preservation is a growing concern in Syria.

** There are persistent efforts, including exhibitions, educational workshops, and cultural incubators (such as the Dummar Incubator for Heritage Crafts in Damascus), aimed at safeguarding these crafts, ensuring skilled professionals can innovate and teach new generations.

Title:

Content: Dummar Incubator for Heritage Crafts is the first development project to protect the Syrian heritage from extinction and maintain its continuity, and provides the right conditions for professionals to innovate, develop ideas and access heritage products with creative ideas.
Khobar Code: 576992
Publication date: 27 September 2021
The incubator is the product of an idea that is part of an integrated scientific research entitled "Syrian heritage between the heritage of the past and the challenges of the present", a research that won the Syrian Innovation Award for 2014, and was invested by the General Federation of Craft Associations with interest and support from the central leadership of the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party.
He pointed out that the incubator consists of several departments, including the Assad Academy of Craft Arts, in addition to workshops for craftsmen, a cultural center, an exhibition hall, and a commercial center whose mission is to promote and market the craft product in local and foreign markets.
He complained that the incubator provides support for small projects.
The Director of Dummar Incubator for Traditional Crafts said that the incubator ’ s work is based on providing the possibility of gathering various “kar sheikhs ” and craftsmen in one place, which leads to the generation of new ideas through this convergence and convergence and access to new projects.
On the objectives of the incubator, he stressed that "it aims to establish branches in all the province and friendly countries as the basis for the development of small projects."
In turn, Nabil Karkutli, who specializes in alternative energy, pointed out that the objectives of the presence of his craft in the incubator aims to qualify cadres to make alternatives to imports to face the Caesar law as well as recycling materials, in addition to the production of alternative energy devices, especially solar energy.
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Latest News

- The vitality of these traditional crafts is seen as **integral to Syrian cultural identity**.

Practitioners and artists underscore the importance of passing on their heritage crafts—whether glassblowing, textile arts, or wood drawing—not only for economic survival but for maintaining a connection with Syria’s rich history and values.

- There is a recurring theme of **urgent transmission**: it is emphasized that preserving and teaching these rare techniques is a duty—both to honor ancestors and to ensure that this immaterial heritage is not lost.

- **UNESCO’s perspective**: Though the text refers broadly to heritage crafts, comments on the urgency of preservation and the vanishing number of skilled artisans indicate exactly why UNESCO places Damascus glassblowing on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

The criteria include loss of practitioners, threats posed by modernization and conflict, and the critical need for intergenerational knowledge transfer.

- The **community and national value** of crafts like glassblowing is highlighted not only in the context of cultural preservation but also as a factor for social cohesion, pride, and even therapeutic integration (as seen with children, including those with special needs, involved in heritage-related creative activities).

Title:

Content: Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
A picture.
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
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The colors of the Russian heritage were born with the life planned by young Anamel, in a painting that reflected the spirit of teamwork, in support of children with special needs in Syria, whose dreams and hopes were almost crushed by the scourge of the terrorist war.
Arab, Russian, Armenian and Circassian children flocked to the "Sherton Damascus" hotel to show what their hands and minds produced in front of the visitors of the "Russian Bazaar", and transfer its proceeds to associations of people with special needs in Syria.
The bazaar set up by the Russian Cultural Center in Damascus, in cooperation with the Goodwill Ambassador for Children, Rama Zreik, and her team "Voluntary Giving", and with the participation of the Russian band "Skazka", took the Russian heritage as a humanitarian address to support the neediest segments in Syria, according to the director of the center, Mikhail Sukhov, told Sputnik.
He added: “Through the event, we are working to integrate children with special needs, unleash their childhood in the coloring of creative and creative handicrafts and wonderful colors, introduce the Russian heritage, and work to spread the authentic Russian culture in Syria. ”
Dr. Rama Zreik, Goodwill Ambassador and Head of the Voluntary Giving Team, told Sputnik: “The bazaar is the second step in a systematic event developed in cooperation with the Russian Cultural Center, and we have already held a workshop for handicraft industry, which highlights the Russian culture and the authenticity of its civilization. ”
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
“During the workshop, which was held with the participation of Armenian and Circassian associations and Russian and Syrian children, we liked to share drawing on some handicrafts such as spoons, matryoshka and other symbols of Russian culture, before we present them today in the bazaar, which was attended by the Russian Deputy Ambassador in Damascus. ”
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
“The main objective of the workshop is to spread Russian culture in a friendly country, and to emphasize the Syrian-Russian partnership, not only on the political side, but we have to be partners in civilization, culture and noble human ideals, ” she said.
“Our message is that humanitarian action and human civilization are the strongest link between peoples and are stronger than the wars that are imposed on us. ”
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
The goodwill ambassador pointed out that "the proceeds of the bazaar will go to charities, within an agreement with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor."
Syria and Russia...
Cultural analogy.
Aya Shehadeh, Director of Public Relations at the Russian Cultural Center in Damascus, said: “Since the opening of the Russian center five years ago, it has met a great demand from Syrians to learn about the culture of Russia, learn its language and learn about the activities offered by the center. ”
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Shehadeh explained in her interview to "Sputnik", saying: "We started a training workshop for children to introduce them to Russian folklore, and the workshop included the presentation of a documentary film for the participants, who exceeded 100 children, in order to introduce them to the methods of manufacturing Russian wooden art pieces, matryoshka and ways to color and decorate them."
“After that, we asked the children to make similar pieces and let their childhood fantasies be unleashed and the result was beautiful shapes and colors that we didn ’ t expect. ”
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Shehadeh pointed out that "the center is cooperating with Syrian charities, especially those concerned with children with special needs."
The Director of Public Relations at the Russian Cultural Center noted "the similarity of social life in the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic, as well as many civilizational participants," stressing that "the Syrian and Russian peoples share bonds of love and affection."
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Matryoshka and Blalaika
Sariya Assaad, one of the participants in the event, told Sputnik: “Born in Syria from a Russian mother, I am participating today in the bazaar to spread Russian culture and heritage through the display of matryoshka, wooden spoons, balayka and some products bearing Russian blue motifs. ”
“The blue color in the Russian motifs symbolizes strength and courage, and is the color of sky and water, and these motifs vary between plant, animal and geometric colored in different colors starting from traditional roots, ” she explained.
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
For his part, Hani Al-Asali, one of the activists in the volunteer team for people with motor disabilities, said: “Today we are in the Russian bazaar to display works that included children with special needs to enhance their confidence in their ability and their similarity with their peers and share with them beautiful handicrafts of Russian heritage. ”
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Al-Asali expressed his happiness with the participation of the Russian Embassy in Damascus in this event, represented by the Russian Deputy Ambassador.
Adonis Nasra, 12, a participant in the bazaar, told Sputnik: “I worked on the Matryoshka, a famous Russian doll designed in the form of a traditional lady in village clothes, with an oval shape divided into two detachable halves and containing 3-5 identical smaller pieces inside. ”
© Sputnik.
Hani AlmahasnehChildren make matroshka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
Children make matruchka and balalaika in support of humanitarian activities in Syria
“This doll embodies an aspect of Russian heritage and was first made in 1890. ”
Bishr Zahra, a child participating in the workshop (10 years), expressed his happiness to participate in the bazaar through two wooden exhibits.
© Sputnik.
Hani Almahasneh
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
1 / 6.
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
© Sputnik.
Hani Almahasneh
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
2 / 6.
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
© Sputnik.
Hani Almahasneh
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
3 / 6.
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
© Sputnik.
Hani Almahasneh
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
4 / 6.
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
© Sputnik.
Hani Almahasneh
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
5 / 6.
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
© Sputnik.
Hani Almahasneh
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
6 / 6.
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
1 / 6.
Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
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Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
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Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
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Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
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Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
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Children make matryoshka and balayka in support of humanitarian activities in Syria.
His father, Ayman Zahra, a manager at a private bank, said: “I came to see the works of my children participating in the workshop, and the works were very wonderful and creative. ”
For their part, visitors to the bazaar praised the nice wooden exhibits and the accompanying Russian musical and heritage performances, expressing their desire to learn more about the culture and heritage of Russia, a friendly and loving country, and the need for their contribution to this humanitarian work.
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- Finally, these events and efforts—workshops, exhibitions, and storytelling events (like Hakawati)—serve as crucial platforms to **bring heritage crafts to public attention, renew interest, and help market artisan products** in both local and international contexts.

**In essence:**
Syrian glassblowing and related heritage crafts are living symbols of the country’s cultural ingenuity and resilience.

However, due to economic, social, and political changes, many of these crafts—including glassblowing—are at risk of disappearing, as only a few master practitioners remain.

This crisis of continuity is why UNESCO recognizes the urgent need to safeguard such traditions.

Efforts in Syria focus on public awareness, training new artisans, and celebrating these crafts as part of national identity, striving to ensure they are not lost to future generations.

**Summary Nuggets: Syrian Traditional Glassblowing (Damascus) – Historical and Cultural Overview**

- **Ancient Origins:**
  Syrian glassblowing traces back over 2,000 years, with Damascus and surrounding regions renowned as the cradle of the craft.

Title:

Content: People 's Network > > International
Chinese National Dance at the Saudi International Mountain Art Festival
January 22, 2024, 19: 40 | Source: Xinhua Network
Small number
Xinhua News Agency, RIYADH, January 22 (Reporter Wang Haizhou Hu Guan) On the afternoon of the 21st, dancers from the Chinese performance team, dressed in various ethnic costumes, appeared in the third Saudi Quimam International Mountain Performance Arts Festival, and successfully completed the first dance performance of the festival, winning the praise of the Saudi people and the international performance team.
The International Mountain Performing Arts Festival kicked off on the 20th in the Asir region in southwest Saudi Arabia, with a total of 25 international performing groups and 20 Saudi local performing groups participating, including China.
Teachers and students of the dance performance department of the Shanghai Academy of Film Arts were invited to participate in the festival on behalf of Chinese performance groups, and prepared 14 dances with Chinese national characteristics for the festival, showing China's excellent traditional culture.
Deng Yijun, a student of performance, said: "When I saw foreign friends shouting 'China' excitedly during the parade, I felt a strong sense of pride.
"I am proud of China's rich and colorful national culture, and deeply realize that art is a bridge between different cultures and helps promote mutual understanding, communication and integration among people around the world," he said.
Sultan Al Bazi, CEO of the Saudi Council for Theatre and Performing Arts, welcomed the arrival of the Chinese performance team and said that the festival has set up eight unique performance venues in combination with the mountainous terrain of the Asir region, which is larger than last year.
The festival, sponsored by the Theater and Performing Arts Committee of the Saudi Ministry of Culture, will feature hundreds of performances on the theme of mountainous areas in various historical and cultural villages and archaeological sites in the region.
The series runs until January 27.
The reporter learned from the Saudi Committee for Theatre and Performing Arts that there are cultural experience activities, handicraft shops, traditional clothing exhibitions, local food trucks, etc., in various exhibition venues, aiming to provide a full range of services for tourists.
Currently, the Qimam International Mountain Performing Arts Festival is an annual event organized by the Saudi Council for the Dramatic and Performing Arts in the Asir region, aiming to introduce the various performing arts and cultural heritage of Saudi Arabia and the world to local communities, expatriates and tourists, encourage international cultural exchange, and create jobs for local talent.
(Editor: Cui Yue, Liu Hui)
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Historical research suggests that glassblowing was invented in the areas covering present-day Syria and Palestine during the 1st century BCE, revolutionizing glass production and leading to the creation of a distinctive artistic tradition.

Title:

Content: Alert
In the afternoon, 1591 households in Beitou were without warning.
The people in the sports center changed their clothes in the dark and the telco spoke.
The Three Great Families of Lacquer Arts in Taichung
(David Su / tr. by Phil Newell)
Lacquer art is widely recognized as an art medium that tests the limits of a creator ’ s body and mind. However, the variety and irreplaceable texture of lacquer still attracts artists to devote themselves to lacquer art.
Taichung is the birthplace of Taiwanese lacquer art. During the Japanese period, due to the development of two forest farms in Daze Mountain and Baxian Mountain, and the opening of the “Yamanaka Art Craft Lacquer Manufacturing Institute ” by Mr. Yamanaka, a Japanese lacquer craftsman, later established the“ Taichung City Craft Institute ” (later renamed as the Taichung Craft College). Ching, Wang Ching-chang and Lai Takayama have become giants in the development of Taiwan 's lacquer art. With strong professional spirit and family heritage, the beauty of lacquer has taken root and thrived in this land.
Lacquer is Life: The Wang Ching-shang Family
The 101-year-old Wang Ching-chang is a true national treasure. In 2016, the Presidential Office awarded the second-class King Star Medal. In May this year, Wang Ching-chang was awarded the Executive Yuan Culture Award, and then praised Wang Ching-chang for his contributions to the lacquer industry.
Wang Ching-chuang was born in 1922 in Kamioka. After graduating from the Taichung School of Arts and Crafts in 1941, Wang Ching-chuang was recommended by Yamanaka to the Tokyo Art School ’ s body painting workshop. The spirit of the staff "is deeply rooted in Wang Ching-chang's heart.
80 years of paint.
After returning to Taiwan, Wang Ching-chang not only founded a lacquer company, but also continued to teach lacquer art. In 1954, Yen Shui-long, known as the "father of Taiwanese craftsmanship", saw Wang Ching-chang's rich practical and teaching experience, and invited him to set up a craftsmanship research class in Nantou (now the National Taiwan Craft Research and Development Center). Frost focuses on the creation of lacquer painting, showing the technique to the fullest. Because of his own high requirements, he held his first solo exhibition at the age of 80, and still maintains the habit of daily creation at the age of 100.
With paint for more than 80 years, still maintain a high degree of enthusiasm, Wang Qingshang will undoubtedly play the staff attitude of the benefactors to the utmost.
"Craft into life" is Wang Ching-chang's persistence, the second son Wang Hsien-min and the third son Wang Hsien-chih recalled helping in the lacquer factory from childhood, the brothers graduated from Feng Chia University's business management department, it was the peak of domestic industry export, "then a month can produce a container of about 10,000 jewelry boxes (cookie boxes) to the United States, the profit of about 30 million yuan, when old. The salary of a teacher is about $1,000 per month, which can be said to be very substantial.
And in the beginning it was only our family doing this, so there was almost no need to solicit business, and traders and customers came to the door. "
Talking about the good business at home, in addition to taking the lead, but also using plastic carcasses and screen printing to accelerate production, Wang Ching-chang obtained the latest technology and materials from his Japanese friends, so that the Wang family created Taiwan's first dragon lacquer production line.
Lacquer art has finally come to fruition.
However, with the impact of the relocation of industries, the Wang brothers turned their focus to creation and learning, and the two people who were originally Wang Ching-shang's assistant teachers were also able to cope with the teaching of the syllabus, whether they were early in Fengyuan Lacquer Museum, Kaohsiung Museum of History, Ilan Art Center, or even in the Tonglin community of Hsinyi Township, which is already at the foot of Yushan Mountain.
"20 years ago, when the enrollment, the venue and materials were ready, but no one came to learn, now is not the same, 12-person class unexpectedly more than 100 people registered, Dad said that everyone to learn to give them the best, we are very pleased to insist for many years, paint has become a prominent school! Even the Japanese teachers are very envious!" 」
"Taichung has rich resources and convenient location. Fengyuan is also a heavy lacquer town. With the lacquer art museum, and Dadun Art Exhibition, more lacquer works have been added in the past year. As long as the cultural city continues to promote and expand its lacquer art pattern, the lacquer art city has a large number of lacquer works." Now Wang Junwei, the third generation of the Wang family, has chosen to take the path of inheritance. Wang Xianmin and Wang Xianzhi, who have been registered as the Preservors of lacquer craftsmanship, continue to teach and create.
The Chen Huo-ching Family
When it comes to the Lord of the Mountain, you will definitely mention his first apprentice, Chen Huoqing.
Unlike Wang Qingshang and Lai Takayama to Japan, Chen Huoqing always stayed close to Master before he returned to Japan. He even gave him horns and tools he used when he was a teacher.
After the war, in order to maintain his family's livelihood, Chen Huoqing entered Taichung's "Air Force Third Aircraft Manufacturing Plant" (later known as Shuinan Airport) and did aircraft chemical painting work for 12 years. However, Chen Huoqing never gave up his studies and continued to make lacquers during off-hours.
Create Fengyuan lacquer ware peak
Then because of the Japanese wage increase and mountain forest protection policy, Japanese lacquer manufacturers began to come to Taiwan to seek cooperation opportunities, Chen Huoqing's good skills immediately favored, officially opened the era of Taiwan lacquer exports to Japan.
Chen Ching-hui, the eldest son, recalled the scene at that time: "At that time, when the supply of lacquer ware for export was in short supply, his father simply passed the technology to the technician who made the tire or the owner of the lathe, etc., creating a prosperous period for the export of Taichung lacquer ware. At that time, there were at least 40 lacquer factories in Fengyuan, so his father was respected by the people."
After being banned from logging and related industries moved to China and Vietnam, Chen Huoqing began to focus on the inheritance of arts and crafts, and was invited to the Institute of Handicrafts to guide and teach, and began a technical apprenticeship program, creating lacquers such as Liao Shengwen, Liu Qinglin, and Huang Lai-shu. Chen Ching-fai takes over.
"In the past, I always helped silently at home, and my father and third brother were responsible for external social interaction. After they died, I began to have more contact with everyone." 」
Master is committed to teaching.
Chen Ching-hui was deeply interested in painting from childhood, so junior high school chose to study at night, and studied with Wang Shuihe, who was known as the "father of advertising", and then went to Tainan to engage in film board painting work. After marriage, he set up an advertising company, made charts, acrylic advertising, etc., for 30 years, until computer graphics replaced manual advertising.
In order to get to know more lacquer artists and improve their skills, Chen Ching-hui participated in the art transfer program that Wang Ching-chang took over.
"Teacher Wang Ching-chang once asked me why I didn't go to Teacher Wang Shuihe, in fact, because every time I went to Teacher Wang, he would be scolded by him, saying that he had taught me kung fu so well and went to the countryside to do it!"
Chen Huoqing, Wang Ching-chang, Wang Shuihe and other masters, Chen Ching-hui was listed as the “Preserver of Lacquer Craftsman – Lacquer ” by the Cultural Bureau of Taichung City Government, and won the 3rd Taichung City Craftsman Award. The seed will be planted in the seed, and the seed will be planted in the seed.
Brushed Lacquer Style 4 Generations
Chen Ching-fai, the third generation of the Chen family, who has also been involved in the creation and dissemination of lacquer art, said that although many courses have been changed to online during the epidemic, lacquer art is prone to detailed errors and difficult to display in video. determination.
Now the fourth generation of Zhang Qifang, in addition to his regular work, has also begun to contribute to the family ’ s nearly century-old lacquer art, and specially filmed the documentary “Grinding the Heart ” to spread the story of the development of the family ’ s lacquer art.
Chen Ching-hui recalls Chen Huo-ching ’ s work attitude: “His father was obsessed with his work, he always kept his work satisfactory until it was delivered on time and always on time! This is the work spirit of the staff! ” Chen Ching-hui, who is 86 years old, still showed unparalleled determination to pass on the beauty of lacquer with his daughter and granddaughter.
Reappearing the Mountain of Light: The Lai Takayama Family
"What Grandpa brought me was the way of doing things, and the care of running the company, and the craftsmanship was more concerned with every detail.
My father taught me the skills, and also used many positive and negative teaching materials in my life to let me know what I should take care of in addition to craftsmanship.
I think the common point of the two is the love and attachment to the profession, which is infused with all the spirit and strength to invest! "
Inheriting the spirit of the two generations of workers, Lai Xinyou opened the tabletop full of tools.
The Road to Taiwan Lacquer Art
Lai 's grandfather, Lai Takayama, received a recommendation from Yamanaka to enter the Tokyo University of Fine Arts after graduating from the Taichung School of Crafts and Crafts. After returning to Taiwan, he founded the "Light Mountain Tour". He was sent to Kanazawa University of Fine Arts and Crafts in Japan to study ancient lacquer techniques.
Lai has been promoting the name of “Tree Paint ” and combining lacquer and pottery as“ TAIWAN WARE ”. Over the years, he has been teaching courses and continuing to hold international exchange activities. He hopes that not only painters, but even the general public can understand the infinite possibilities of changes in lacquer techniques.
Selfless teaching to apprentices, for their own children is more sincere, originally Lai Zuoming wanted to follow his father's model, arranged Lai Xinyou to study in Japan, but he did not want to take this "arranged" road.
The full harvest after the invasion
Lai Hsin-you, who was an assistant to his grandfather when he was a child, wanted to build a deeper foundation for his art. So he took longer to make his products and shortened the time to create them. His father, Lai Tso-ming, wanted him to put aside the production of these daily necessities and focus on creating them. He then turned to the sales of famous souvenir shops, and finally came home because of Lai's poor health.
“I ’ m actually very happy that I ’ ve worked outside, because these experiences have given me a better understanding of the workings and needs of the consumer market.
For example, in the past, my father's works may only be packaged in newspapers. Although the work may be nearly perfect in terms of craftsmanship, the overall consumer experience needs to be taken care of from the service to the store, to the product packaging, and every detail must be taken care of. Get your father ’ s approval.
Bring the paint back to life.
Lacquer ware and the lives of ordinary people have produced a distance, so Lai Xinyou actively through a variety of experience activities and cross-industry cooperation projects, so that people understand the actual appearance of lacquer ware in life, "like a very popular video game" Animal Mori Friends ", to actually put objects into life, you can imagine.
He boldly curated in bakeries and coffee shops, looking for common points between different groups of customers, and opened the door to craftsmanship.
Lai Xinyou also believes that the craftsmanship must keep pace with the times, not completely subverting tradition, but making the lacquer art in line with the modern life field, and looking for demand from life, there is demand to have a market.
Lai Xinyou this pragmatism is the experience of himself, his father and grandfather all the way, is the dedication of the staff to promote craftsmanship.
Wang Qingshang led Wang Xianmin and Wang Xianzhi brothers to industrialize lacquerware, and boldly tried new materials to export Taiwan lacquerware to other countries. Chen Huoqing taught the technology to let Fengyuan lacquerware processing industry flourish for a while. Chen Ching-hui combined with his years of advertising and painting skills. On his own way, Lai Shin-you organized an experience event and promoted the restoration of lacquerware to integrate into modern life. Three different families, the same true love of lacquer art, still stack up in modern society, patiently grinding the lacquer, step by step, inheriting the "professional spirit" of no complaints, no regrets, and admirable.
[See full article on Cultural Stage # 48.]
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This innovation made glassware more accessible and allowed for greater artistic expression.

- Threats from industrial glass, imports, and declining local demand.

Title:

Content: Santiimen Township Office has put the art of one of the three treasures of Taiwan into an exhibition, hoping to use the treasures of ancient and modern times as a medium for tourists to explore the richness of the people. Culture.
Shi Xiuju, who has accumulated more than 39 years of experience in the creation of glass beads, is the main protagonist of this exhibition. She said that glass beads are regarded by the Paiwan people as a family treasure, representing the class of the people, as long as you can tell the identity of the owner of the beads.
She has repeatedly said that if the Paiwan people do not understand the meaning of glass beads, they will be sorry for their ancestors.
Shi founded Dragonfly Art Studio in 1983, actively encouraging tribal women to learn a skill, and her own unremitting efforts to create, coupled with flexible marketing methods, led her and Wang Xuehong, chairman of Hongda Power, to be recognized by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference (APEC) as an outstanding representative of female innovation enterprises.
Shi Xiuju 's works were collected by the National Taiwan Museum in 2012, a total of 83 items and 113 pieces, in recognition of her remanufacturing and innovation in Paiwan glass beads. Only through exquisite works can the outside world see this beautiful embellished by fire.
In the exhibition, Shi Xiuju will combine her creative energy with calligrapher Luo Huiyu to reinterpret the cross-border cooperation between Chinese culture and indigenous art. Cemelesai said that her works will present the history of glass culture from ancient times to the present.
# Glass beads # Shi Xiuju # Paiwan # Presence # Beauty