Chinese painter portrays Tibet self-immolators
Associated Press/Andy Wong - In this photo taken on Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, portraits of Tibetans who have self-immolated over the past three years painted by Beijing-based artist Liu Yi are displayed at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
By GILLIAN WONG | Associated Press Sat, Jan 12, 2013
BEIJING (AP) Beijing-based artist Liu Yi is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule.
Liu wants to paint a portrait of each of the hundred-or-so Tibetans who have self-immolated over the past three years, as a way of bearing witness to one of the biggest waves of fiery protests in recent history. With each brushstroke, Liu is making a heartfelt plea: The burning must end.
"When I'm painting, I'm thinking: 'Enough, enough, don't do this anymore. Stop,'" said the soft-spoken artist who has completed 40 so far. "That's enough."
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"I also hope that everyone won't look at it in an ideological or ethnic way, but to pay attention to it from a humanitarian perspective," he said.
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