A North Korean vase decorated with sea snail shells Photo: Li Hao/GT

Exhibition organizers appreciate a North Korean painting at the Peace Garden Museum in Beijing on Monday. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Hosted by Embassy of North Korea in China and the China World Peace Foundation, a North Korea culture exhibition kicked off at the Peace Garden Museum in Beijing on June 14.

Representatives of China and North Korea presented paintings as gifts to each other at the opening ceremony of the exhibition. The integrated exhibition features North Korean artworks such as watercolors, oil paintings and artworks made from sea snail shells. This is the first North Korean art exhibition held in China this year, which marks the 70th anniversary of China-North Korea diplomatic relations. 

Art for the people

Wearing a white shirt and glasses, Ri Jong-sik, the representative of North Korea's Exhibition Bureau, seemed mild and practical.  

Having organized cultural events on behalf of the exhibition bureau in China for many years, Ri is fluent in Chinese, which he taught himself. When asked what the art field in North Korea looks like and who can be an artist, Ri said that artists in his country are very happy. 

According to Ri, North Korean parents and the nation place great importance on education and students can choose special interest clubs after class, such as dancing, painting and singing. If a student chooses to study paintings at the Pyongyang University of Fine Arts, he or she might spend three more years studying than university students taking other subjects. 

"North Korean painters are a group of well-educated people who enjoy equal education resources provided by the government in public schools. In a country that values the arts very much, talented painters might stand out through art exhibitions and competitive contests. The most accomplished ones are titled exploit painter and painter of people," Wu Peihe, secretary-general of the China World Peace Foundation, explained. 

Ri proudly introduced a special category of North Korean art known as shell paintings - mosaics made using hundreds of small multi-colored shells. After making a simple sketch, the craftsman chooses the right shells for the picture and then pieces it together. Everything relies on shells, even the background paint is made from crushed shell powder. Ri said he thinks these works possess high artistic value.

North Korean embroidery paintings are also very special in that artists use needle and thread to make beautifully shaded works of art that look as if they had been made with paint and brush. Different from Chinese embroidery paintings, which use very thin lines of thread, North Korean embroiders instead use thicker thread, which makes it easier to create a sense of space.

North Korean watercolors tend to combine the techniques of Western oil painting and Chinese freehand brush work. Ri said their paintings usually emphasizes the portrayal of strength, the aesthetic tastes of the people and respectable themes. For example, works portray the war heroes that liberated North Korea or the country's beautiful natural scenery.

Cultural exchanges

The highlight of this exhibition in Ri's eyes are the photos documenting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's visits to China. Apart from these artworks, books collecting speeches given by the country's leaders are also on display. According to Ri, they want to provide visitors a comprehensive picture of North Korean art and give them a glimpse into the spiritual side of the country. 

The North Korean Exhibition Bureau's branch in Beijing has been organizing two to three large exhibitions in different cities throughout China every year. 

Wu also made it clear that cultural communication should not be a one-way street and that his organization aims to promote cultural exchanges between the two countries and strengthen the diplomatic ties through similar events like this. 

"Considering the complex international political environment, cooperating and developing with our neighbor countries is especially meaningful. This exhibition is particularly special since President Xi Jinping just paid a state visit to North Korea," Wu said. 

He further emphasized that cultural exchanges between the two countries has a long history. Some North Korean films, like the Flower Girl, are very familiar to older generation of Chinese. There are also some North Korean artists working and living in China now. As a foundation focused on organizing cultural communications, the China World Peace Foundation looks forward to holding an event where Chinese and North Korean artists can paint and communicate face to face.  

"This year is the 70th anniversary of the establishment of China-North Korean diplomatic ties. We want to show the long-term friendship between the two countries through this exhibition," Ri noted.
Newspaper headline: Celebrating friendship