A story of hope, courage, and faith told through the medium of Chinese water color and oil painting has made its Canadian debut.
The Art of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance exhibition held its opening reception at the Studio Gallery of the Faculty of Education in Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, on Sept. 9. The exhibit showcases the second collection of works in a series that has toured 40 countries and 200 cities since its debut in 2004.
This is the first time the second set of paintings in the collection has been shown in Canada. The paintings on display were created by Falun Dafa practitioners from around the world, including contributions from Canadians: Chen Xiaoping, professor Zhang Kunlun, a sculptor and painter, and Kathleen Gillis, an instructor at the Ottawa School of Art.
Professor Sylvat Aziz, who teaches in the Department of Art at Queen’s University, was involved with organizing the exhibit and spoke at the opening. She described the works as “technically very accomplished representational paintings.”
“I have been involved with this endeavor from the outset as a person curious about the artists and the art that functions and thrives on a sense of duty to the values of truth, compassion, and tolerance,” Aziz said.
Each of the artists is highly accomplished in their respective fields, and each painting reflects a realism that captures the spirit and essence of the subject. The style of the paintings is deeply rooted in tradition, with each figure appearing lifelike and vivid in a style that accentuates the strong messages conveyed.
“Perhaps good art could be effective art, that which will evoke the strongest responses within us, both that we draw near to and ones that we recoil from,” Aziz said.
The Art of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance exhibition, which will be on display until Sept. 24, was envisioned by Ottawa-based professor Zhang as a result of the suffering he endured in China as a prisoner of conscience. The exhibition, which depicts a firsthand account of the story of Falun Dafa, encompasses four main themes: harmony, adversity, courage, and justice.
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, involves self-improvement through practicing meditation and slow-moving exercises and assimilating with the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance.
Falun Dafa is rooted in traditional Chinese culture and became widely popular in the 1990s. Fearing Falun Dafa’s popularity was overshadowing his own legacy, Jiang Zemin, China’s ruler at the time, outlawed the practice in 1999 and ordered it eradicated. Since then, Falun Dafa adherents in China have been subjected to brutal persecution for their belief.
The Art of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance exhibition held its opening reception at the Studio Gallery of the Faculty of Education in Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, on Sept. 9. The exhibit showcases the second collection of works in a series that has toured 40 countries and 200 cities since its debut in 2004.
This is the first time the second set of paintings in the collection has been shown in Canada. The paintings on display were created by Falun Dafa practitioners from around the world, including contributions from Canadians: Chen Xiaoping, professor Zhang Kunlun, a sculptor and painter, and Kathleen Gillis, an instructor at the Ottawa School of Art.
Professor Sylvat Aziz, who teaches in the Department of Art at Queen’s University, was involved with organizing the exhibit and spoke at the opening. She described the works as “technically very accomplished representational paintings.”
“I have been involved with this endeavor from the outset as a person curious about the artists and the art that functions and thrives on a sense of duty to the values of truth, compassion, and tolerance,” Aziz said.
Each of the artists is highly accomplished in their respective fields, and each painting reflects a realism that captures the spirit and essence of the subject. The style of the paintings is deeply rooted in tradition, with each figure appearing lifelike and vivid in a style that accentuates the strong messages conveyed.
“Perhaps good art could be effective art, that which will evoke the strongest responses within us, both that we draw near to and ones that we recoil from,” Aziz said.
The Art of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance exhibition, which will be on display until Sept. 24, was envisioned by Ottawa-based professor Zhang as a result of the suffering he endured in China as a prisoner of conscience. The exhibition, which depicts a firsthand account of the story of Falun Dafa, encompasses four main themes: harmony, adversity, courage, and justice.
Falun Dafa, also known as Falun Gong, involves self-improvement through practicing meditation and slow-moving exercises and assimilating with the principles of truth, compassion, and tolerance.
Falun Dafa is rooted in traditional Chinese culture and became widely popular in the 1990s. Fearing Falun Dafa’s popularity was overshadowing his own legacy, Jiang Zemin, China’s ruler at the time, outlawed the practice in 1999 and ordered it eradicated. Since then, Falun Dafa adherents in China have been subjected to brutal persecution for their belief.
