The Cairns Post/The Cairns Sun (Australia): Artists Courage on Show in City

September 16, 2005 Friday

Cairns saw the opening of the high profile art exhibition, Uncompromising Courage, at The House Art Gallery in Cairns on Tuesday.

The exhibition consists of 41 beautiful artworks that portray the journey of Falun Gong since its introduction to the world in China in 1992.

The exhibition consists of five stages and was put together by a professor of art Kunlun Zhang, who went through psychiatric and physical torture in China in 2001 because he practices Falun Gong.

On his release, he collaborated with 12 other artists, who also practice Falun Gong, to tell the story of the uncompromising courage of Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Falun Gong is a peaceful cultivation system, which consists of five gentle exercises, and has the principles of truth, compassion and tolerance. Falun Gong is practiced in about 78 countries by an estimated 120 million people. In July 1999, the Chinese Communist Party began a campaign against Falun Gong, [...]

Founder of Falun Gong Li Hongzhi has twice been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

The Cairns exhibition was opened by Janet Walder of Amnesty International. Ms. Walder spoke of human rights abuses occurring in China today, and made reference to the Olympic Games to be held in China in 2008.

Ms. Walder encouraged everyone to see the "wonderful, yet disturbing, exhibition."

"These are things that are happening in China today and are painted by the very people who have witnessed and endured such treatment."

The exhibition will be on display at The House, 28 Grafton St, until 2pm Sunday.