Republic of Mauritius- Young Mauritians of Expo 2020 Dubai drawing and painting contest rewarded

The Chairman of the EDB, Mr Hemraj Ramnial, and the Commissioner General of the Mauritius Pavilion for Expo 2020 Dubai and Acting Chief Executive Officer of the EDB, Mr Ken Poonoosamy, were present.

The contest was launched by the EDB for children, to unleash their creativity through drawings and paintings portraying the Mauritian folktale, in the context of the Expo 2020 Dubai.  This event will be held from October 2021 over a period of six months. The Expo will publish a digital book for children to  showcase the folk tales of participating countries.

In the case of Mauritius, the Legend of Pieter Both has been chosen to feature in the digital book. The paintings will be converted into full illustrations, maintaining the character and the spirit of the original drawings into lively storybook imagery.

The Chairman underlined that Government, in line with its commitment to develop the creative sector as a new pillar of the economy, is putting tremendous efforts for Mauritian artists to better contribute to the economic development of the country and optimise the potential of the creative industry. On this score, he mentioned the development of an Art District in Port-Louis which was announced in the last budget and financial assistance schemes provided by the National Art Fund.

Speaking about the EDB’s contribution, Mr Ramnial stated that it is currently working in collaboration with the National Art gallery to develop a powerful virtual art gallery to support local artists.  The EDB is also involved in marketing initiatives of local artwork globally, he added.