Arts in the World of Avatar

There is a diversity of cultural arts in each nation in the World of Avatar, ranging from visual arts, including portraits and paintings, to sacred dances and rituals.

List of known paintings

 * Flying bison painting - One of the many ornate paintings present throughout the Western and Northern Air Temple.
 * Iroh painting - A portrait taken by Zuko when he left his home.
 * Baby Ozai painting - Found by Katara in Ozai's beach house.
 * Painting of the Fire Nation Royal Family - A painting of Zuko, Azula, Ozai, and Ursa found on Ember Island and burned by Zuko when building a fire.
 * Ursa painting - A painting of Zuko's mother.
 * Fire Lord portraits - Located in the Fire Nation Royal Palace.
 * Sokka's painting - Sokka's picture of a nearby scenery that Master Piandao asked him to paint of Shu Jing. The painting depicted a waterfall scene, including mountains and a rainbow.
 * Lo and Li painting - Portrait of young Lo and Li wearing yellow swimsuits in their beach house.
 * The Birth of Kyoshi Island painting - Located on Kyoshi Island, it is a portrait painted on the day the island was created by Avatar Kyoshi. A scene is depicted of the Avatar standing by the citizens of Kyoshi Island during sunset.
 * Earth Kingdom born Avatars painting - Located in the Earth Kingdom Avatar Temple in honor of the earth Avatars.
 * Sokka's drawing - A drawing by Sokka in the Jasmine Dragon and crude representation of the members of Team Avatar.
 * World map painting - A map of the world seen in Commander Zhao's tent.
 * Mai and Zuko painting - A portrait of Mai and Zuko seen in the Fire Nation Royal Palace.
 * Painting of the former Air Nomad elders - Located in the Northern Air Temple.
 * Painting of Lu Ten - A portrait owned by Iroh.
 * Painting of Fire Lord Ozai - Owned by Aang and accumulated at the Fire Nation school.
 * A picture of Fire Lord Ozai made out of noodles - Made in a Fire Nation school and owned by Aang, later utilized during Aang's training for the invasion.
 * Sun Warriors' mural - Located in the Sun Warriors' ancient city.

List of known sculptures

 * Avatar Kyoshi sculpture - Located in Kyoshi Island.
 * Avatar Roku sculpture - Located in Crescent Island.
 * Badgermole statue - Located in the Ruins of Taku.
 * Ozai fire fountain - Located in the Fire Fountain City.
 * Ozai statue - Located in Omashu, while it was still under construction, it was destroyed when Bumi liberated the city.
 * Avatar statues - Located in the Southern Air Temple.
 * Monk Gyatso statue - Located in the Southern Air Temple.
 * Yangchen statue - Located in the Eastern Air Temple.
 * Female Air Nomad statues - Located in the Western Air Temple.
 * Painted Lady statue - A little statue of the spirit in Jang Hui.
 * Dancing Dragon statues - Located in the Sun Warriors' ancient city.
 * Oma and Shu statue - Located in the Cave of Two Lovers.
 * Dragon Warrior sculptures - Located in the Cave of Two Lovers.
 * Chin statue - Located in Chin Village.
 * Azulon statue - Located in the Great Gates of Azulon.
 * Hei Bai's statue - Located in Senlin Village.
 * Monkey statue - Located in the pirate ship boutique.
 * Flying bison statue - Located at the Northern Air Temple
 * A large statue of the Painted Lady - Located at Jang Hui.
 * Sozin's statue - Located in the Fire Sages Capital Temple.
 * Ozai's statue - Located in the Fire Nation school.
 * Lion turtle statue - Seen in the pilot.
 * Monk statue - Located in the Northern Air Temple.
 * Aang's statue - Located in Republic City, in a small island on Yue Bay. It features a massive sculpture of Avatar Aang commissioned by the Fire Nation some years after the end of the Hundred Year War.
 * Sokka's Suki sand sculpture - A very crude representation of Suki's face that was mistaken for a blob monster by Aang.
 * Zuko Statue - Located in Central City Station in Republic City, the statue was erected in Fire Lord Zuko's honor.
 * Toph Statue - Located outside of police headquarters in Republic City is a statue of the Metalbending Police Force's founder, Toph Beifong.

Writing and literature
Writing and literature are an integral part of society across the World of Avatar. All four nations use a common system of characters borrowed from the Chinese system for daily purposes. The four nations primarily use writing for communication and literary purposes, but there are some who practice calligraphy, such as Piandao. There are many books and scrolls in the Avatar World, many of these are located (or at least have a reproduction) in Wan Shi Tong's Library.

Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a form of art of giving writing a particularly artistic way to emphasize its beauty and shape. The paper, ink, brush, and inkstone are essential implements in calligraphy. A paperweight is used to keep the paper straight and flat on the table, negating the need for one's hand to touch the clean paper. It is unknown how widely calligraphy is practiced, but Piandao taught Sokka the basics.

Classical Chinese is primarily a writing form. Being a condensed form, it is particularly difficult to master. People often use the fewest possible characters to express very comprehensive meanings and the specific meaning is almost entirely dependent on the context.

Haiku
Haiku is a form of traditional Japanese poetry that consists of three lines of five, seven, and five syllables respectively.

In Ba Sing Se, there is a group called 5-7-5 Society that focuses specially on haiku and is led by Madame Macmu-Ling.

Ember Island Players


The Ember Island Players were a local acting troupe who performed at Ember Island's only theater. They did not have a reputation for quality acting, but they took themselves very seriously and almost always packed the house, though this is probably because the theater is one of the only sources of night time entertainment on the island. They aired the play, The Boy in the Iceberg, which was an acclaimed work in the nation. Their only other production mentioned is Love Amongst the Dragons which, according to Zuko, who always went to watch it with his family, was "butchered every year".

Puppet shows
Team Avatar saw a puppet show while visiting a Fire Days Festival in a Fire Nation colony where Fire Lord Ozai was presented as a great hero, facing off against an "evil" Earth Kingdom soldier.

Music


In the World of Avatar, music is a very important cultural aspect to the people, especially for Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizens, and a prime source of entertainment. A variety of instruments are used to produce music such as the tsungi horn and the pipa.

Songs
Songs are the most commonly seen musical compositions in the World of Avatar, much more widespread than full orchestral pieces. A popular song variation is the simple, pleasing folk song often performed by several people with the use of instruments.

Architecture


Artistic and creative architecture is seen worldwide in the Avatar World. Examples include the Avatar Temples, the air temples, Wan Shi Tong's Library, and the Sun Warriors' ancient city. Locations, such as the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se, are known to boast many ornate houses and architectural buildings. Other regions, such as the Northern Water Tribe, are magnificent civilizations constructed from certain elements common to that particular geographic location.

List of known dances

 * Dancing Dragon - The Dancing Dragon is an ancient firebending form employed by the Sun Warriors, who learned it from the original firebenders: the dragons.
 * Ba Sing Se Waltz - This dance is demonstrated by Aang to some students from the Fire Nation school. It is apparently performed in Ba Sing Se noble society.
 * The Phoenix Flight - An old Fire Nation dance, also demonstrated by Aang to the students.
 * The Camelephant Strut - An old Fire Nation dance, demonstrated by Aang.
 * Tap - Mentioned by Sokka when Zuko and Aang came back after meeting the Sun Warriors.