Speech by a Bulgarian MP: "“Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance”...will remain in our hearts."

On behalf of the Alliance for Women’s Freedom, I am very happy to introduce to you the Chinese-Australian artist, Mrs. Zhang Cuiying, whose paintings are filled with brightness and purity.

Chinese art is known for its unique style and developed process. Its history can be traced back to about 2000 BC. For thousands of years, Chinese painting has developed from painting on silk to painting on Indian paper. Chinese paintings are characterised by magnificent mountains and water, misty and smoky mountains, tranquil lakes, flowing rivers, and traditional buildings.

Mrs. Zhang’s traditional paintings blend with the highest moral principles. She applies perspective representation to depict nearby and remote objects. Her paintings keep the unique profundity of traditional Chinese art, and express a philosophical concept that all living objects have soul. Apart from this, poetry and art are united into the painting; the artist’s feelings are expressed through the mountains and the water. Landscape paintings delicately express the harmonious and poetic perception of Chinese mountains and water.

In Chinese literature, there are often references to their attitude towards art. The ancient Chinese often had the sick appreciate landscape paintings to regain their physical health.

Mrs. Zhang had a similar experience. She used to suffer from rheumatoid arthritis, and was almost paralysed and bedridden as a result. She was forced to give up painting. But a miracle occurred. She benefited from a traditional cultivation method based on the principle of “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.” Even though she experienced brutal persecution, she did not stop telling people the truth and explaining her belief to them, which had already integrated themselves into her paintings.

Tolerance, understanding, responsibility and respect for human rights, respect for freedoms of belief, expression, and choice; these are part of the objective of the Alliance for Women’s Freedom. The Alliance for Women’s Freedom is truly honoured to invite everyone to attend this art exhibition. Mrs. Zhang once said, “Chinese painting is like light music and enables people to experience vigour and vitality.”

Here I would like to express my thanks to Mrs. Zhang Cuiying. While appreciating her paintings, I feel unmeasurably pleased. We are shocked and sympathetic for the persecution she has suffered. “Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance”, which is displayed in her paintings, will remain in our hearts.

Here I would say to Mrs. Zhang the following words that the renowned Bulgarian poet, Konstantin Pavlov said to a famous Bulgarian artist, “Go on walking until you reach the horizon. The highest level of one’s self consciousness is complete selflessness, which is not the ending of self, but the starting point toward a further journey.”

“Treat yourself with sincerity; treat your destined hardships with dignity. Only in this way can a person’s fate be blended with the fate of a group. Only through art can one’s tragedy be turned into an envied life, into powerful strength that can be used to endure hardships.”

Translated from Chinese at http://www.yuanming.net/articles/200310/25101.html