PureInsight | September 13, 2004
[PureInsight.org]
[Editor's Note: On July 15-16, a painting exhibition entitled "Uncompromising Courage" was held in the exhibition hall of the U.S. House of Representatives' Rayburn House Office Building. The exhibition was sponsored by the Washington, D.C. Falun Dafa Association. The artworks were the creations of Falun Gong practitioners. Some of these artists are still illegally imprisoned in China. After five years of brutal persecution, these Falun Gong practitioners, as artists, hope to use art to convey the joy of reclaiming one's heart after cultivating Falun Gong, practitioners' uncompromising courage, their persevering pursuit of the universal principles – "Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance," and their faith that justice will eventually overcome the evil. Each artist has his/her own specialty. They have tried their best to use traditional painting skills to achieve their objectives. One after another, we will introduce the works of these artists, the stories and concepts behind their works, their creative processes, and the skills that were used in the paintings.]
Reporter: Zhu Qingming, reporter for Zhengjian/PureInsight Net
Zhang: Professor Zhang Kunlun, painter and sculptor
Reporter: Professor Zhang, you are one of the organizers of this exhibit. Could you please tell us a little more about it?
Zhang: Falun Gong practitioners who are also artists have produced all the pieces exhibited here. Some of these are very accomplished artists. The subject matter of these works all relates to Falun Dafa.
There are two reasons for the exhibit. First, throughout their entire lives, these artists had searched for a pure and unblemished way to express themselves through their art but couldn't find it. All the different schools of art in today's society have been influenced by all kinds of notions and have hidden the artists' pure, true selves. They were only able to recover their pure mindsets through Falun Gong practice. After they purified their minds, they have been able to free themselves of the influence of innumerable notions and found their true identities. Only then were they able to express the sides of themselves that are naturally good and kind. These pieces of artwork depict the wonders they've experienced in their cultivation and portray the experiences that they or other practitioners have endured during the vicious persecution of Falun Gong. At the same time, these works also show the steadfast spirit of Dafa practitioners in safeguarding the principles of the cosmos, as well as the sad endings of the evil forces as they are destroyed, which Dafa practitioners can foresee.
The exhibit is divided into four topics: harmony, adversity, courage, and justice. The persecution is groundless and unacceptable. Dafa practitioners have displayed immense moral courage during the persecution. The final part of the exhibit portrays how the evil forces will be tried in the court of public opinion and heavenly principles; that is bound to happen. Everyone is positioning himself. That is why Dafa disciples have been doing their utmost to clarify the truth. They are doing it not for themselves but for all living beings. Of course, that is a concept I can't explain in just a few words.
Reporter: I believe those who see the exhibit will be quite affected by it. I've noticed that those who viewed this exhibit came from all over the world, and the exhibit has touched them greatly. Many of them have said that they want to help Dafa practitioners end the persecution as soon as possible. This exhibit is of tremendous significance.
Translated from: http://www.zhengjian.org/zj/articles/2004/7/17/28221.html
