DAEGU, South Korea—Shen Yun Performing Arts Touring Company presented its second performance in Daegu, South Korea on the afternoon of Apr 6. Among the audience members were Park No Hwan, a fine artist, who is also the District Director (Daegu) of Professional Fine Artist Association, and his friend.
Seeing Shen Yun for the first time, Park No Hwan found the performance refreshing. “Shen Yun is a remarkable form of culture, featuring innovative content and fascinating programs. The intriguing fusion of backdrop scenes and dancers’ movements adds to attraction of the performance. The show is in splendid colors, giving off a flavor strongly typical of China, and allowing me to experience some Chinese culture. I should thank my friend for inviting me to the performance, which delights me.”
Specializing in realistic paintings, Park No Hwan thinks Shen Yun presents authenticity of Chinese culture. “In our opinion, this is characteristic of traditional Chinese culture; Korean culture is different from Chinese culture in some ways. The performance presents authenticity of China.”
‘A desire to paint these dancers’
Park No Hwan drew inspiration from watching Shen Yun. “Movements of the dancers form beautiful lines of the body, leaving in my mind a desire to paint these dancers.” Apart from the beauty of colors, the artist also hoped to use his painting brush to catch the performers’ inner beauty derived from their cultivation.
“Painting itself is a form of cultivation. The depth of an artist’s inner world is presented through the level of his cultivation. I think I am able to fully present their inner beauty, though I haven’t given it a try.”
Park No Hwan was impressed with all the programs, particularly the merciful expression on the Buddha’s face in the final program. “The program about the Monkey King is very interesting. Though I couldn’t grasp the Chinese content; the singers sang extremely well. In addition; the ending scene is really excellent, with a great Buddha in it, a very good image, very endearing.”
Park No Hwan concluded his interview with his admiration for the heavenly messages made manifest in the Shen Yun performance. “We often watch performances, but Shen Yun distinguishes itself from all the others. Shen Yun visualizes heavenly messages and imagery, for example, the scenes of goddesses descending down to the human world, and the profundity of its content.
“The performance aims to pursue spiritual felicity in modern times. Humanity is moving on the path of corruption, while watching the Shen Yun performance that reflects performers’ inner cultivation helps to upgrade the level of our minds.”
Read the original Chinese article.
Reporting by Dai Deman and Amy Lien
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world. For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org.
