(Clearwisdom.net) On December 16 and 17, 2004, the international art exhibition "Uncompromising Spirit", was held in the International Village at the University of Surabaya, Indonesia. The paintings that moved people's hearts attracted numerous students and local citizens. The Vice President of the University of Surabaya cut the ribbon in person at the opening ceremony and made a speech. Major newspapers in Indonesia reported this event on their prominent pages.
- Surabaya Post : Seeking justice by means of painting
Surabaya Post published an article entitled, "Seeking justice by means of painting". The report said that one can seek justice not only through laws but also other ways that anyone could imagine: Seven artists who are also practitioners of Falun Gong are seeking justice through their artistic feelings expressed on canvas.
The theme of the art exhibition is "Uncompromising Spirit". It is now exhibited around the world. The exhibition tells people what cultivation is, the persecution encountered by Falun Gong practitioners in China as well as their efforts in pursuing justices.
These paintings look real. They vividly portray what has been going on, because of some depicted artists' personal experience of the persecution. One of the artists is still imprisoned at present.
Nineteen paintings in the exhibition depicted torture methods used by the Jiang Zemin regime in the brutal suppression. For instance, a painting entitled "Fired Human" by Weixing illustrates how Chinese police use heated iron and cigarettes to burn Falun Gong practitioners.
Another painting entitled "Immortal" portrays thousands of people who started practicing Falun Gong since Master Li HongZhi introduced the practice for the first time in 1992 become victims of the suppression due to the barbaric ruling.
Falun Gong practitioner Andhy Yozari said that the art exhibition, which is held around the world, is one way to clarify the truth about Falun Gong. He said, "Up to now, my friends are still being abducted and imprisoned. What we are trying to do is simply improve ourselves through practicing cultivation." He said that in Surabaya alone there are several hundred Falun Gong practitioners and ten practice sites.
- Kompas : Tragedies in China depicted in paintings
Kompas published an article entitled, "Tragedies in China depicted in paintings". The article pointed out that the brutal tragedies injure our hearts. The tragedies occurring in China are the darkest in human history. The dark history recorded in the realistic paintings is now being exhibited in the International Village building in the University of Surabaya.
Most of these paintings depict the persecution suffered by Falun Gong practitioners, but these paintings only display a tiny part of the tragedies happening in that country.
A painting named "Persecution against female practitioners" was painted on paper using watercolor. It vividly portrays the brutality and viciousness of the police in persecuting Falun Gong practitioners. Not only limited to female practitioners, these painting also depict the persecution suffered by male practitioners.
Artist Wang Ziping's painting entitled, "Tragedy in China" is an art work that portrays human nature. It is very touching. The painting describes a young woman's deep grief over her husband who was tortured to death in a brainwashing center.
Deputy director of the Indonesian Falun Dafa Association Ms. Chen Yuanyuan said, "The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners is unacceptable. The purpose of holding this Chinese artists' painting exhibition in Surabaya is to arouse people's attention." She added, "These paintings have been exhibited around the world, including Indonesia. After this exhibition in Surabaya, we plan to hold same exhibitions in Semarang, Bali, Medan, and Batam."
There was an oil painting named, "Golden Lotus" besides the exhibition section portraying the brutality and corresponding retribution. This painting by Shen Daqi told us that the gold color symbolizes eternity and the lotus flower symbolizes purity. This artwork was created based on a real story: A mother and her infant were tortured to death because of their brave persistence in their pure belief.
If Falun Gong practitioners are facing the brutal persecution by the Chinese authorities in their homeland, the Indonesian government provides them freedom.
Ms. Chen Yuanyuan said, "Falun Gong was introduced in Indonesia in 2002." She said that Falun Gong, which originated in China, has now spread to more than 70 countries including Indonesia, over the world including Asia, Europe, America and Australia. She remarked, "Although practitioners of Falun Gong are being persecuted in China, they are still steadfast in upholding their belief, because Falun Gong believes in God while the Chinese Communist Party is atheistic."
- Jawa Post : Heart-felt voice calls from canvas
Jawa Post reported in an article, "This painting is entitled, "Eternal Life". It portrayed more than 100 faces, smiling above rainbow and white clouds. However on the earth beneath the heaven, countless cultivators are still suffering the persecution.
Yao Zhongqi is one of these painters. This painting is one of the 35 art works exhibited in the International Village in the University of Surabaya. The theme of the exhibition is "Uncompromising Spirit". Thirteen painters are all practitioners of Falun Gong, a cultivation system originating in China.
Andhy Yozari from the art exhibition committee said that unfortunately, the Chinese Communist Party leader banned Falun Gong in 1999. Practitioners are arrested and persecuted. Four of the 13 painters have been imprisoned and persecuted. Three of them were released and another one is still incarcerated.
It is not a surprise that many of these paintings depict the tragic stories about how Falun Gong practitioners are persecuted. There are also some describing how one achieves consummation through cultivation.
For example, in the painting entitled, "In Harmony", Michele Chen portrays a lady doing sitting meditation - strengthening the divine power, and a lotus flower appears above her head. Ms. Chen is a Chinese painter who lives in Canada. The lady in the painting was her self-portrait.
- Surya : Art exhibition upholding Falun Gong
Surya also mentioned that this is not an ordinary art exhibition. It is an explanation given by Falun Gong practitioners to uphold Falun Gong aiming at the Chinese government's fabricated slanders against Falun Gong all along.
A practitioner told Surya that the Chinese government (Jiang regime) oppresses Falun Gong. Practitioners are imprisoned and tortured. Now these persecution facts are depicted on canvases which are exhibited in the International Village in the University of Surabaya. Carfully viewing Chen Xiaoping's artwork entitled, "Choice between the light and the dark", it describes the brutal persecution as a high pressure way to coerce Falun Gong practitioners to give up their belief in Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance.
He said, "Our purpose is to clarify the truth and display to the world that we are good people."
