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Sharjah 24
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sharjah 24
Young artists shine under guidance of Luis San Vicente at SCRF
The award-winning Mexican illustrator Luis Miguel San Vicente Oliveros captured the imaginations of young attendees. In just an hour, pristine white canvases were transformed into vivid works of art as children of all ages took their seats and immersed themselves in drawing and colouring. Luis, who is visiting the UAE for the first time, said: 'This festival, with its incredible splash of creativity and sheer scale, is truly inspiring.' He was honoured with the Illustration Award at this year's festival for his digital artwork Kala — a heartfelt tribute to his late husky. Reflecting on his own childhood, Luis noted the growing challenge of nurturing imagination in an increasingly digital world. 'I always played with colours when I was growing up. But today, with so many gadgets and structured activities, children often don't find the time or space for simple things like drawing,' he said. 'Here, surrounded by so many books and so much art, it's a wonderful opportunity to sit with children and excite them about colours and creativity. If, through this workshop, even one child decides 'this is how I want to express myself', I'll consider it a success,' said Luis, who has illustrated more than 70 books and whose work has been exhibited worldwide. For 11-year-old Yusuf and 12-year-old Rashid, the workshop provided the perfect start to their day. Clutching their canvases, they were closely guided by Luis but remained the true masters of their creations, each painting a magnificent blue whale across their A3-sized canvases. 'My mother will be very happy to see this. I'll put it up in my room,' said a beaming Yusuf, proud of his masterpiece. The free-to-attend 16th edition of the Sharjah Children's Reading Festival will run until May 4 at Expo Centre Sharjah. For more details, visit,
Gulf Today
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Kids at SCRF urged to embrace imperfection
Sharjah: Finnish artist, and this year's Sharjah Children's Reading Festival (SCRF) Illustration Award winner, Laura Merz, is capturing children's imagination with her unconventional drawing and colouring workshop, 'Strange Creatures', at the ongoing 12-day event. Merz, whose work spans published children's books to public murals across Europe, encouraged nearly 28 participants, ranging from seven to 14 years old, to abandon the search for perfection and instead embrace experimentation and play. At her workshop, rather than the usual pencils and paintbrushes, the tables were set with an array of everyday objects: steel wool, toothbrushes, ice cream sticks, sponges, facial scrub pads, earbuds, combs, drinking straws, scraps of fabric, and pieces of cardboard — transforming ordinary household items into tools of creativity. 'There's no need for your creation to take any particular shape,' said Merz, as she invited the children to dip their chosen items in blue and green inks and create patterns without a plan. 'Just play with colour and let the object guide your hand.' Within minutes, the workshop space was alive with inventiveness. One child made waves using the teeth of a comb, another fashioned a constellation of dots with ear buds, while others blended patterns using steel wool and sponges. The energy in the room was palpable — a welcome antidote to the prescriptive art lessons many children encounter at school. 'My approach is always to find new ways of drawing and painting, and I want children to break free from the idea that art requires expensive materials or strict instructions,' Merz explained. 'If you simply provide the tools and permission to experiment, their imagination will do the rest.' After allowing time for the ink to dry, the children cut their patterned paper into different shapes and assembled them into whimsical animal collages using the classic technique of découpage. 'Don't chase perfection,' Merz reminded them. 'Use your imagination and play.' For eight-year-old Yusuf, this was an ideal way to realise the 'Elli' (elephant) of his dreams: 'I'm cutting five rectangles, a circle, and two triangles to make my elephant,' he said, beaming with pride. Children finished their pieces by pasting the collage onto coloured paper and embellishing their scenes with stars and dots — once again using earbuds in place of traditional brushes. This workshop is part of more than 600 being offered at SCRF 2025, each designed to spark curiosity and offer young visitors creative freedom — often with nothing more than household items and a splash of imagination.
