Internationally acclaimed master artist Huang Yongyu's massive
painting "World Peace" was officially unveiled today at the United
Nations Compound in Beijing.
Donated by the artist to the United Nation in China, the
painting echoes the tapestry of Picasso's Guernica which hangs at
the entrance to the UN Security Council Chambers in New York.
"It is a call to commit to the ideals of peace and development,"
said Khalid Malik, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, at
the unveiling ceremony. "The message of this extraordinary painting
represents the very principles of what the UN was founded upon, and
the message continues to resonate today. A commitment to peace is a
commitment to human development and security," he added.
With the size of approximately 2x3 meters, the painting shows
cranes swooping over lotus flowers and is inscribed with a text of
peace in Chinese characters, which reads: "Let no person in the
world be left in hunger or fear. No Fear. No Hunger. Let the birds
and flowers of peace bring prosperity to all people in the
world."
"Artists, through their work, are powerful spokespersons of the
values of the UN. The painting communicates empathy and political
commitment for change, and is a vibrant reminder that humanity and
nature are always intertwined," said Malik.
"World Peace" will be a valuable addition to the art collection
of the UN, which includes works such as the sculpture
"Non-Violence" by Karl Fredrik Reutersward of a gun barrel tied in
a knot, and "Single Form" by Barbra Hepworth, both standing outside
the United Nations Headquarters in New York.??
Born in 1924, Huang Yongyu is one of China's most celebrated
cultural icons. "World Peace" is an example of his work of
combining Chinese ink with Western oil painting technique, which
has garnered him an international reputation as a reformer of
Chinese art.? He is known for painting swiftly using
paintbrushes, branches, dry pulp and his fingers.
A living legend and testament to human strength and survival,
Huang was forced to flee school during the Second World War and
left at the age of 15 to make a living from selling his prints to
newspapers and magazines. Now, over 70 years later, Huang's
painting, "World Peace," is installed on the wall of the Large
Conference Room at the UN Compound in China as a reminder of
humanity's shared obligation to peace and the eradication of hunger
and poverty.??
(China.org.cn December 19, 2006)
