The "Truth Compassion Tolerance" art exhibition, showing now through June 10th, presents a series of original fine works of oil painting, sculpture, and traditional Chinese styles to the public in an open exhibition for New Yorkers to preview works in the international tour.
All works were done by practitioners of the Chinese spiritual practice Falun Gong, and depict both their struggles against persecution within China, as well as divine and colorful scenes of higher beings and higher realms. These works of art are finely detailed and contain grandiose subject matter full of stunningly colorful historical depictions in China, the struggle between good and evil, and peaceful meditation.
Artist Weixing Wang came from China in 1987 and has been painting for over 30 years. She has three paintings on display, two of them of young, orphaned children paying tribute to their deceased parents, "I saw that some practitioners [of Falun Gong] in China are tortured to death, and they leave behind their children. I saw this, I saw my family. I'm a mother. Also, I'm a teacher. I just felt very sad for these kids."
Kathleen Gillis is an artist and Falun Gong practitioner from Canada. She has two paintings on display, one of them of her grandchildren studying Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Gong, and another of a hand reaching down from heaven to help a man tied up and tortured in a Chinese prison, "I think of it as realistic, it's both documentary and visionary work", says Ms. Gillis.
One artist of whom the scenes of torture depicted in some of these paintings were an everyday reality is Amy Fan. After facing imprisonment and torture by the Chinese Communist regime, she fled to the United States in 2000. Ms. Fan says she paints "To create a record of history" and "To show people what's happening in China." Her paintings are done in a unique Chinese style using transparent silk and watercolor affixed to canvas.
Reactions to the artwork included many people who were awakened to what Falun Gong is, and surprised by what is going on in current day China regarding the widespread torture and suppression.
Devin Tanchum reacted to Ms. Fan's work and others, "The style is very interesting. For a long time Chinese art has been very repressed. [These artists] are almost going to a pre-renaissance symbolism. Very moving."
Other art included a grand and solemn Buddha sculpture, scenes of divine retribution on the persecutors, and serene meditating figures sitting with legs crossed and eyes closed.
You can see the exhibit at daily from 11am to 7pm at 29 West 35th Street, just off Herald Square in midtown Manhattan. For more info call (917) 685-3165 and visit http://www.falunart.org.
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