Radio Free Asia (RFA): Falun Gong Practitioners Hold a Painting Exhibition at the US Congress

Some painters who practise Falun Gong began on Thursday exhibiting their works at the US Congress Building. These works mainly depict the scenes of the Chinese government's suppression and Falun Gong's resistance. The following is the summary of the report by RFA correspondent Shi Shan on July 16, 2004.

The art exhibition was held at the underground hall of the US House of Representatives' Rayburn House Office Building, and nearly 50 works were displayed. Most of the works reflect the brutal scenes that take place when Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted in China, including the scenes of some brutal torture methods, and Falun Gong practitioners' opposition to the persecution in Mainland China and overseas.

One oil painting left a deep impression on many people. A three to four year-old boy is behind the prison's metal parapet, looking up the sky outside, puzzling. The background is a dark and gloomy prison cell. The author of the painting is artist Ms. Wang Weixing who has held individual art exhibition several times in the US. She explained that the name of the work is called, "Why."

Wang: Recently I met a lady named Zhang Derong from New York; she and her child were sent to a prison this way. She told me this story, so I created this painting. The painting expresses that the child and his mother were detained in the same cell. His mother was severely tortured, and he was also beaten. He stood outside the metal parapet, and was wondering why all this happened to them.

Wang Weixing brought three paintings this time. She said her painting once fell into a difficult position, but now she has found inspiration and new direction.

Ten Chinese and Western artists took part in the exhibition. A sketch series, including four pen drawings, were from a prison in China. The author Ren Zhongde is a Chinese artist. It is said that his whereabouts are still unknown. Ms. Fan, the organiser of the exhibition said that he might be still in prison.

Ms. Fan: He is still in prison. He drew the four small works with pen in prison, and then entrusted someone in prison to transfer them out of prison. We only know that he is still in prison, but we are not clear about his current situation.

Ms. Fan expressed that four of the ten artists were once put in prison in China for practising Falun Gong. Their works are mostly their personal experiences.

Canadian artist Zhang Kunlun, originally a sculpture professor at Shandong University, was sentenced to two years of forced labour after the Jiang's regime began persecuting Falun Gong in 1999. He was released in 2001 and returned to Canada.

One of professor Zhang's paintings is named "Red Wall." Under a huge red wall with the huge words "Suppression," several Falun Gong practitioners are suffering torture, while the corner of the wall begins to cave in, and the big wall also appeared cracks. Professor Zhang explained that the painting is entitled, "Red Wall," it actually sums up that under the ruling of Jiang Zemin's dictatorship, the entire China forms a big prison. It is not only a social problem, in China, it is a big prison wrapping a small prison and again a smaller prison; layer upon layer, you are locked inside.

Speaking of the ordeal in prison, professor Zhang was choked with sobs for a while and unable to speak. He explained that he could only use artistic works to express his feelings.

Zhang: Falun Gong practitioners in China may be arrested, sent to labour camps or tortured to death at any time. So I'm one of the victims. When I was arrested, sent to labour camp and detained, that feeling was sometimes hard to express clearly in language. So I use paintings to express such feelings in China.

Professor Zhang explained that he has produced quite a few sculpture works in the past two years reflecting the persecution of Falun Gong and unyielding resistance. But due to the limit of exhibition site, he did not bring his sculpture works to participate in the exhibition.

This is the fifth year of the persecution of Falun Gong. Ms. Fan, the organiser of the exhibition expressed that on around July 20 this year, thousands of Falun Gong practitioners would hold a series of activities of commemoration and appeal in the capital of the US, Washington DC. The exhibition is one of the series of activities.

The above is the report from RFA correspondent Shi Shan.