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Hwan’s Reflections in Oil and Irony

from: Portrait Image of Person HwanHwan    Marker Icon for the Link to the Citymap
A man in a paint-splattered coat and a paper crown holds a paintbrush while sitting next to an easel with a colorful painting. The painting features a portrait of a man in a military uniform against a red and white abstract background. A white dove is also depicted at the bottom of the painting. The scene is set in a studio with various paint jars and supplies on the table. The artist gazes directly at the viewer.


Dear Western World,

Greetings from my humble atelier in Pyongyang. My name is Hwan, and I am a painter. As I write this, I am putting the finishing touches on a portrait of our great leader. You can see me in the attached photo, wearing my favorite hat (yes, it has a crown—one must always paint in style) and accompanied by a lovely white pigeon who often visits me. It’s quite the scene, isn’t it?

As I paint, I find myself pondering your world of elections and term limits. It must be such a novel experience, to have the chance to choose your leaders and, more importantly, to know they won’t hold their positions forever. Here, of course, our leaders are "elected" for a lifetime, a concept that makes elections feel more like ceremonies than choices. I must admit, the idea of a real vote, where outcomes aren’t predetermined, is fascinating.

While I paint this portrait, I think about the freedom you have to express yourselves, to critique your leaders, and to see change when you demand it. Treasure that. It’s a gift as rare and beautiful as the pigeon perched here beside me.

Perhaps one day, I’ll paint a portrait of a leader chosen by the people—what an inspiring subject that would be. Until then, I’ll keep adding my brushstrokes and dreaming of a world where art and freedom flourish side by side.

Yours in creativity and contemplation,
Hwan

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