​近期影片

《Plum Blossoms in the Muddy World》(42 x 61 in)

By Unknown artist

Silver Award

A group of people are reading together in this simple, everyday-looking living room, people of all ages: a young girl reading along with an adult, a grandparent sitting in the lotus position, a businessman in his typical suit. 

There is a peaceful tranquility to it all, as if everything is in harmony.

This warm slice-of-life scene seems nothing special at first, except everything seems astoundingly real, as if the artist has breathed these figures into life.

The painting on the back wall reminds us of this work's title: Plum Blossoms in a Muddy World. Plum blossoms are small, delicate seeming flowers that burst open even through the snow, often the first signs of an oncoming spring. They signify perseverance, and hope, that all brutal winters end and life is renewed once again. 

The people in the room seem perfectly ordinary, but the book they are reading is "Zhuan Falun." It is a banned text in China, where the artist resides. 

Officially an atheist regime, the Chinese Communist Party persecutes all sorts of religious believers and followers of faith. Its ongoing targeted attack on Falun Gong has been particularly brutal. Countless are detained in labor camps, and thousands have been killed for their faith. 

Even the act of venturing out to read together requires tremendous bravery in China. 

Golden energy blooms into the room as a result of their steadfast faith. Discs of divine light fall from above like blossoms signifying hope for the future even in our muddy world. 

This sense of harmony fills every corner of the work. The subtle brushwork and natural effect of the painting reveal the steadfast calm and tranquility the artist has reached, in order to pass that onto us viewers.

Note: The artist has to secretly send the painting to the competition as the persecution is still going on in China. We can’t reveal his name to the public.