宋珮老師：一畫一世界（1）

This is one of the lesson series organized by Cosmic Light, with Dr. Sung Pei. 

Dr. Sung commenced the speech with a brief but thought-provoking introduction of the book “Artful Thinking,” - a pedagogical framework derived from Project Zero at Harvard. These strategies aim to foster reflective, curious, and open-minded thinking through the lens of art. Throughout the entire speech, Dr. Sung skillfully applied this approach by guiding us to explore our own reasoning, consider divergent perspectives, and revisit our ideas from a broader and more inclusive point of view - all by simply observing a single image. 

https://egypt-museum.com/nebamun-hunting-in-the-marshes/

​In the first task, we were asked to observe and share what we noticed from a small part of a painting called Nebamun. While seemingly straightforward, the task proved unexpectedly demanding to me. Having shaped by the traditional Asian educational paradigm - one that prioritizes accuracy, I felt hesitant to voice my own interpretation. The ingrained fear of error of social embarrasssment loomed large. 

After the discussion, Dr. Sung provided more details about this imagery, starting with the geographical background of the river Nile and where the painting was found. The reiver Nile and the flooded area symbolized life and death for the Egyptians and where the order of life was resotred. The tomb, where the painting was discovered, was naturally located on the west side of the river - the direction of the setting sun, symbolizing the end of life and the beginning of the soul's journey after death. 

Fragments found
​https://www.wonderfulthingsart.com/post/reconstructing-ancient-egypt-nebamun

Reconstructed image.
​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2wLnOGuQNI

​As we engaged deeper with the artwork, we noticed how our thoughts sometimes aligned with, and sometimes differed from, the philosophical lens of ancient Egyptian culture. The entire process feels like a dialogue between us and the those ancient fellows dwelling along River Nile. By making the conversation personal, we were brought closer to each other and the exchange of worldviews more intimate. ​