Smile Al-Asfour's paintings... in "Education Curricula"
Visual artist Absam Al-Asfour continues to maintain her presence in Kuwait’s artistic and educational landscape, as the Ministry of Education included her works and artistic experience in the “Teacher’s Guide” within the middle school curriculum for the 2026–2027 academic year for the second consecutive time. This move reflects the importance of employing visual arts to strengthen students’ connection to their national heritage and cultural identity, and to develop their aesthetic sensibilities by exposing them to the experiences of a select group of Kuwaiti artists.
Al-Asfour expressed her pride and honor in this recognition to Al-Rai, stating, “For the second consecutive year, I am filled with pride and honor that my works and artistic experience have been included in the Ministry of Education’s ‘Teacher’s Guide,’ given the value this inclusion holds in documenting Kuwait’s authentic environment and heritage, and introducing new generations to its beauty and memory.”
She added, “I am delighted by messages from fellow artists and teachers who use my paintings to teach students about Kuwaiti customs, traditions, crafts, and professions. I have also learned that some of my paintings have been adapted as murals in several schools, which is a great source of pride and honor for me.”
She emphasized that having her works integrated into the educational system represents an artistic and cultural responsibility, explaining, “Being part of Kuwait’s educational system and contributing through my artistic works to conveying an image of our heritage and environment to our children, and instilling pride in Kuwaiti identity in the hearts of new generations, is something I deeply cherish. I consider it an extension of the message that visual arts carry in documenting the nation’s memory.”
Al-Asfour’s experience is part of a broader collection of Kuwaiti artistic endeavors documented by the Ministry of Education in the “Teacher’s Guide,” alongside the works and experiences of several pioneers of Kuwaiti visual art. These include artist Mubarak Al-Dosari, considered one of the pioneers of Kuwaiti visual art and the first Kuwaiti teacher specializing in teaching drawing and art education; visual artist and educator Ayoub Hussein, who documented old Kuwaiti neighborhoods, known as “Al-Farjan,” and the details of daily life within them; visual artist Mahmoud Al-Radwan, who focused on documenting the Kuwaiti environment and reviving images of authentic traditional crafts and professions; and visual artist Abdulaziz Arty, whose works are distinguished by their depiction of old markets, social gatherings, and his unique artistic use of color.
