The element of heritage as one of the sources of contemporary creativity (Case Study)

Abstract

The cultural heritage is considered one of the main elements that constitute the features of society and determines its cultural identity, as it provides its members with a special distinction that works on its cohesion, stability and characterization, with its continuous and extended cultural creativity that extends over centuries, starting from primitive art through to the huge diversity in those arts and its association with important letters in the society. Folklore is an important part of cultural heritage. Folklore consists of the customs and traditions of people, and the expressions of opinions and ideas that they transmit from generation to generation, and it is a continuation of folklore such as folk tales, heroic stories, and legends, and includes arts and crafts, poetry tales for children, and popular proverbs; Fairy concepts, ceremonies and religious holidays.Where we find in the heritage elements many meanings and symbols that express the Egyptian identity. Many Egyptian artists have dealt with popular heritage items in their artwork. The artistic folklore is an essential component of the Egyptian character, and traditional handicrafts are considered a distinct cultural heritage, distinguished by the Egyptian environment, especially Upper Egypt, North Sinai, and the Siwa Oasis. The Siwi crafts were chosen as a field of study and experimentation The research aims to:Benefiting from traditional handicrafts in producing graphic or photographic artworks bearing the characteristic of originality and contemporaryity Documentation of the cultural heritage through artwork The research assumes that studying the Siwi heritage as a visual stimulus is a source of inspiration for the artist to produce contemporary artworks, whether oil painting or photography inspired by the cultural heritage.

Keywords

• heritage; contemporary creativity; arts and crafts