Peace in Seoul

THE Bupyeong History Museum will host the 2009 Global Contemporary Art Exhibition Peace Project from September 8 to 26 under the theme of "peace" and artists have been left to express themselves in whichever manner they choose, as long as their works loosely follow the theme.

In total there are 41 artists from around the world who will be exhibiting work.

The 24 Korean, eight Chinese and nine international artists are displaying a wide array of work ranging from painting, to photography, sculpture and even video.

Roxana Manouchehri, who is from Iran and studied painting at the Tehran University of Art, has lived and worked in Korea since April 2007 as a professional visual artist.

Given the events of the past year in her home country, Manouchehri was happy to engage in such a meaningful event. "I like the concept and idea of the Peace Project. Specifically, in view of the current political situation in Iran. Art can be the best medium to bring people together," she said.

Jeffrey Morabito was born in Bronxville, New York, but being half-Chinese, he spent his earlier years travelling back and forth between New York and Hong Kong.

He received his BFA from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and currently is a painting and drawing instructor at the One-K Art Institute in Korea.

His hopes for the project are that audiences see how people can be different, yet understanding of each other.

"I would consider the art that I do as dealing with the figure in an expressionist manner.

"I think of the Peace Project as part of the greater effort of countries trying to be friends with each other...

"We don't share everything in common, but there are always things that we do share in which we have a mutual understanding," he said.

The Korea Herald