Journey of Falun Dafa Photo Exhibition and Zhang Cuiying Painting Exhibition Successfully Held in London's October Gallery

Journey of Falun Dafa Photo Exhibition and Zhang Cuiying Painting Exhibition Successfully Held in London's October Gallery

By UK practitioners

Zhang Cui Ying continued her tireless efforts to expose the evil of the persecution during a five-day exhibition of her paintings in London, from 20th to 25th April. The opening at the October Gallery in Bloomsbury, which over 25 years has played a key role in introducing London to the arts of indigenous cultures as well as to a select range of important contemporary Western painting and sculpture, gave us an opportunity to distribute flyers throughout the neighbouring area from Holborn to Queen Square, while Cui Ying worked on a new painting among her displayed scrolls. To these we were able to add The Righteous Way of Falun Dafa - large collection of photographs of Falun Gong demonstrations and victimised practitioners from the labour camps in China. The exercises were also performed outside the gallery. A team of trainee media executives from all over the world, who were attending the press conference, developed a keen interest and made a video of interviews with us among the exhibits for proposed publication here and in Canada.

Many people came to see the exhibition, including Chinese people who saw our notice in a newspaper. The gallery staff were touched by the beauty of the paintings and her story about the illegal persecution of herself and millions of others in China. Most people could not believe that such brutality and ugliness could today be happening to good and kind people.

Only a few days before Cui Ying arrived in London, we found another magnificent venue for the last two days of her stay. On 24th April we transported the exhibition to the fine new setting of Wren's 17th century church of St James’ Piccadilly, in the heart of the busy West End and near China Town. Her large Buddha paintings were hung right at the head of the church, next to the altar. A lunch hour recital of classical music and singing was also held there.

A continuous succession of viewers passed through the church during the two days, whom it was possible to engage in conversation about events in China since 1999. Flyers were again distributed and the exercises were performed in Jermyn Street behind the church. Cui Ying gave an account of her personal experiences of torture and inhuman treatment over eight months in four different prisons to interested visitors. For example an older lady from Denmark, an AI activist, took much information back home, including many of Cui Ying's painting bookmarks for the Chinese children and community in her hometown. Every day we also went to China Town to meet the Chinese and Western people there and to clarify the truth to them.

On the 25/4 the UK practitioners, who were marching through London to commemorate the third anniversary of April 25 Appeal, stopped by to enjoy the exhibition on their way to Downing Street where they gave signed petitions and a letter to the Prime Minister.

We thanked the Reverend of St James’s Piccadilly and as a gift he received a copy of Cui Ying's painting. He was very happy and told us that the church is usually fully booked in advance and it just so happened it was free for only those 2 days.

These five days illustrated the considerable impact of her exhibition in fulfilling her objective of bringing understanding of Falun Gong and its persecution to a wider audience.

Cui Ying's dedication to Zhen, Shan, Ren touched the hearts of the practitioners who were helping her and also the hearts of all the visitors.