Finland: Truthfulness Compassion Forbearance International Art Exhibition Held in Helsinki

From the 1st to the 10th of August, 2006, the fourth Truthfulness Compassion Forbearance International Art Exhibition in Finland was held in Kannelmki Library in Helsinki.

The exhibition was located next to the children’s section in the library. During communication, the librarian wished only for pictures that did not depict violence or tortures to be selected for the exhibition. In the end the chosen paintings were “Buddha Statue”, “Fulfilling Vows”, “In Harmony”, “Pure Lotus”, “Daddy Come Home”, “Homeless”, “Lotus Heart” and “Coming for You”, a total of thirteen paintings. At the same time practitioners also told the staff about Falun Gong’s spreading widely in over eighty countries in the world, receiving hundreds of proclamations and also the inhumane methods used by the Chinese Communist Party to persecute Falun Gong practitioners in Mainland China since 20th July 1999. Some of the artists themselves have been illegally detained and persecuted in Mainland China. Soon after the exhibition was set up, the library staff became the first visitors and afterwards they all said the exhibition was very good.

Practitioner explaining the paintings	Visitors appreciating the paintings in detail

On the table practitioners laid out information about the practice in many different languages, a guestbook, petitions to oppose the persecution and self-made paper lotus flowers.

As a visitor came through the door, a practitioner would first of all give him a delicate paper lotus flower in welcome and then start telling the story depicted in the nearest painting, “Daddy Come Home”: The little girl in the picture is called Fadu. When Fadu was eight months old, her father Chen Chengyong was beaten to death in China by the CCP just for speaking out for justice for Falun Gong. Ever since, Fadu has travelled over thirty countries all over the world with her mum to tell the facts and appeal to stop the CCP’s persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. They came to Finland three times to call for people to together end the suppression.

After listening a lady was puzzled and asked, “Why is Falun Gong persecuted in China?” The practitioner took a copy of “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party” off the table and told her that these articles exposed the CCP’s evil nature, for example that its characteristics of deceits, malice and violence could not tolerate Falun Gong which practices Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance. The lady asked, “What can I do to help you?” The practitioner replied, “Find out more about the truth of the persecution of Falun Gong and the evil nature of the CCP and just tell the Finnish government, media and those around you about it.”

Mother and children visiting the exhibition together

An elderly person signing the petition to support Falun Gong	A happy visitor who wore the lotus flower in her hair

Many parents took their children along to see the exhibition and one could always see parents patiently reading out the captions for their children and furthermore answering their questions from time to time. In the end they would take their children to sign the petition together to support Falun Gong.

Lots of little girls showed an interest and were attracted by the beautiful lotus flowers. As soon as they were given one, they went back to find their friends to take more. A few girls even learnt how to make lotus flowers taught to them by practitioners and said that they would later make a whole basket of flowers for practitioners.