NEW YORK—The Gold Award for the first New Tang Dynasty Television Chinese International Figure Painting Competition went to a deliberate artistic piece of great expression.
Li Yuan’s “Suffering in China” brings to light the victims of the Chinese communist regime’s persecution of the Falun Gong meditation and spiritual discipline. The painting is also a memorial to those everywhere who suffer without freedom or human rights.
Mr. Li chose the subject because he practices Falun Gong himself and wants to help stop the persecution by bringing attention to the issue through his artistic skills.
In the spirit of the artistic masters of the Renaissance, Mr. Li presents a painting that raises an issue in a sensitive and touching way. The deliberate details and technical excellence allow viewers to nearly forget that they are standing in front of a painting. They feel the emotions and struggle as if they are one with the scene.
The composition of the painting is simple, yet striking. A young woman sits on a bed, and behind her lies her dead husband. The torn piece of paper in his hand and chains on his feet communicate that he was tortured. The Chinese characters on the paper stand for a “declaration” that he refused to sign, which resulted in his death. This declaration claims that he “regrets” his past and will give up practicing Falun Gong.
Despite the weight of the subject, the traces of violence are subtle. One must take a closer look to discover the wounds that bleed on his arm and breast. One of the tiny details is the half-covered Falun Gong emblem that the woman wears as a necklace, revealing that she is also a Falun Gong practitioner. From the golden rings on their fingers, one understands that they are a married couple.
