1. Syria – artist: Sabhia Karden
My home country, the Arabic Republic of Syria, is a country full of hospitable people. In our country, a large number of ethnic groups with a very large number of different ancient religions live together in harmony.
The traces of these diverse ancient cultures are documented in Syria in many ways by the cultural vehicles scripture and image. They are also reflected everywhere in the country's architecture.
2. Yemen – artist: Maher Nizar
Women's clothes in Yemen is rich in ornaments with a symbolic character, which issue from their faith and arts, Islamic and Non-Islamic.
3. India – artist: Sanjay Sikder
The little bear --- stands for an oppressed woman who feels threatened and is struggling. She fears being deserted, suffers from existential fear. How far can inhumanity go?
4. Tadzjikistan – artist: Swetlana Frank
The best day for a Tajik is when visitors arrive, he receives good news, a child is born or a wedding celebrated. The Tajik bear can transform every day into a day like that. He's wearing festive clothes, his colourful silk robe is full of traditional tajik needle- and patchwork. Round the hips the bear is wearing three embroidered shawls. No matter where he meets a stranger or a friend - in the field or on the street - he spreads out one of the shawls as a tablecloth, puts the second one on the ground for his guest to sit on, takes a piece of bread, a handful of dried fruit and some other nibbles from the third one and calls out, "What a day! Let's celebrate! Welcome!"
Your bears are certainly giving you lots of photo opportunities.
ReplyDeletethey all look good to me, i like the second one best because the color of the eyes is the same as mine... these artists are just so really talented.
ReplyDeleteLOVE Syria and Yemen today!!!! Assuming the pictures are in order of your text, I am sure they are.
ReplyDeleteA bright, colourful and interesting selection.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking again about this one - in fact it's sort of preyed on my mind so I've returned to it. The one that's stuck is the Indian one. I cannot help wondering what lies behind it. The answer to the question posed is that mankind's inhumanity knows no bounds but why that particular representation for India? An Muslim state where women can still be stoned to death or Afghanistan where the Taliban repress women, that I would understand. But why India?
ReplyDeleteGraham, I don't know. If you visit www.buddy-baer.com and look up United Buddy Bears Show and India you will find that the artist in this case made two different bears though, one for the big show and another for the minis, and I guess the feelings they're supposed to express are sort of opposite. Although not exactly... I'm still not sure that even taking both bears into account, the artist really answers your questions (or mine). My suggestion is that maybe the artist was not thinking in terms of what makes India DIFFERENT but what makes it THE SAME as the rest of the world?
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