Edmonton Journal: Exiled painter brings brush to Edmonton

Gilbert A. Bouchard

Friday, November 29, 2002

Artist Cuiying Zhang journeys to Edmonton with a lush exhibition of traditional ink-and-brush Chinese paintings being hosted in the Dinwoodie Lounge starting Sunday.

Entitled The Golden Brush, the three-day exhibit and its Australian-based creator has already traveled to nearly 20 countries. This world-trotting itinerary stands in stark contrast to the artist's lifestyle a few years back.

A follower of the Falun Gong belief, Zhang was jailed and tortured for eight months in her native China following the Chinese government's 1999 crackdown on followers of her belief.

She was subsequently barred from returning to China to attend a 2001 exhibition of her work in Hong Kong, in part because Zhang's exhibition catalogue includes a section on the Falun Gong belief and her own persecution.

The paintings on display depict the traditional subject matter befitting her practice: landscapes, figure work, animal studies and still-lifes.