BEIJING: For Omani artist Saud Al Hunaini, the trips he made to China for both artistic creation and exchanges have always been “pleasant and eyeopening”, allowing him to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and traditions.
“In my opinion, exchanges in art between China and Arab countries are essential for building stronger cultural and humanitarian ties,” he told China Daily.
“Art is a universal language that transcends boundaries and enables people to connect and understand each other’s cultures. Through cultural exchanges, we can share our respective artistic traditions, learn from each other’s techniques, and create new works of art that reflect our shared values and aspirations.”
Al Hunaini is among the over 50 Arab artists who recently wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping to share their impressions from participating in the “Silk Road Artists’ Rendezvous” visits to China — art workshops first launched by China in 2009 to facilitate trips by Arab artists to better learn about the country and its culture.
The 11 art workshops, which have so far attracted over 100 artists from 22 Arab countries and facilitated the creation of 487 paintings, sculptures and ceramic works, are a microcosm of broader efforts between China and Arab countries to build up mutual understanding and enhance people-to-people exchanges.
A strong level of mutual understanding, broad-based public support for bilateral ties between China and the Arab world, and China’s respect for the diversity of civilizations have played an important part in its successful mediation efforts that led to the resumption of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran, analysts said.
In their letter to the Chinese president, the Arab artists expressed their hope that with Xi’s support, cultural and artistic exchanges between China and the Arab world will be more colorful, dialogue between the two civilizations more active and friendship between them more solid.
The reply from the Chinese president, published on April 3, offered the artists “immense pride and happiness”, Al Hunaini said.
In his reply, the president welcomed more artists from Arab states to visit China, saying that he hopes they can use their creations to promote cultural exchanges between China and the Arab world and help more Arab people learn about China.
“Culture can connect hearts, and art can interlink the world,” Xi wrote in his reply.
“Knowing that the president of China took the time to respond to our letter and acknowledge our message of fostering cultural and humanitarian ties between China and Arab countries was a testament to the value of the workshops,” Al Hunaini said.
Nizar Daher, a Lebanese artist who was a co-author of the letter, said in an interview that cultural and artistic exchanges have played a major role in developing bonds of friendship between the Lebanese, Arab and Chinese people. He underlined the Global Civilization Initiative, proposed by President Xi Jinping in March, as a “realistic vision of cultural pluralism”.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
