The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is a beautiful country with breathtaking landscapes and a rich cultural history, including that of artistic inheritance. Among various genres of fine art, painting - considered an expression of a distinctive ethnic culture - is the most treasured in the DPRK. Some of the finest among these are truly world-class.

Much of the visual art produced in the DPRK is marked by a vivid representation of the unique ethnic culture of the country. The distinction often lies in the way painters combine the basic artistic practices prevalent in Eastern cultures with the oil painting techniques popular in the West.

While art is a by-product of the aesthetic pursuits of human beings, there is a universal language about it that unites people of different races. Art forms of different cultures, though distinctive from one another, have their commonalities and complement one another. Unlike countries, there is no border separating the art originating from them.

Art brings countries close to one another. Hopefully, the paintings featured here will offer a glimpse into representative works of art to emerge from the DPRK in recent times. It is one way of strengthening the ties and fostering greater understanding between China and the DPRK.

The author Zhou Yanzhao is chairman of the Chinese Culture and Art Association.

(HK Edition 06/03/2016 page9)