The Reason Why the Arab World Embraced "Cute" [2/2]

Machiko Ono, a Japanese illustrator, was recently invited to draw in the UAE at the Abu Dhabi Art Hub, where top creators around the world are gathered.

At first, she was surprised that her work was received so positively. Her cute drawings are fresh, and many people asked about them. Many people liked them so much that they bought her art. In the Arab cultural circle, few works fall into the cute genre, and there is a psychological thirst for cuteness. Machiko concluded that her works were so well received due to there being a demand for cute things in the Arab world. Her cute illustrations are also extremely popular at various workshops where Arab anime and manga fans gather.

On the other hand, she feels that in the Arab world, she could not grasp any sense of "culture". That is to say that since the Arab world is advancing rapidly, and the nomadic diorama has been replaced by tall buildings, remnants of its cultural heritage, such as the Tea Ceremony in Japanese culture, could not be found. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Arab cultural circle finds the culture of cute a rare concept, and longs for a parallel symbol in their own culture.

In fact, Ahmed Saleh Al Yafei, the founder of the Abu Dhabi Art Hub, runs the art space exactly because he believes that this art could become the culture of the Arab world.

That is to say, "cute" might be able to contribute to world peace some day.

Machiko Ono's Homepage (Illustronice Lab):
http://illustronics.com/

Abu Dhabi Art Hub:
http://www.adah.ae/