More Praises for the After a Thousand Miles – Wen-Jung Hsu World Tour Exhibition
The After a Thousand Miles – Wen-Jung Hsu World Tour Exhibition held at the Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch has attracted a lot of attention from the Christchurch public since its opening on 9th January 2021. Its unique art pieces have won wide acclaims and praises from people of all ages.
On January 2021, elderly couple Lynn and Robin Benton from Christchurch, visited the After a Thousand Miles Exhibition at FGY Art Gallery Christchurch. During their viewing of the theme sculpture, the After a Thousand Miles Sculpture, the couple were amazed at the creative talents and profound artistic attainments of Artist Wen-Jung Hsu. From this theme Sculpture, they claimed to be able to know Master Hsing Yun, and understand Master’s life-long contributions to Buddhism. They were full of admirations and praises for Master Hsing Yun after learning that Master has setup more than two hundred Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Temples around the World. Mr and Mrs Benton had migrated to the UK for many years. They only returned to New Zealand a few months ago after experiencing the first and second waves of COVID-19 pandemic in the UK last year. On their return, they were quarantined for two weeks before reuniting with their family. Recalling the days of the pandemic in the UK, the couple still had lingering fears. They said: "During the pandemic, the British people are in a state of deep panic. They need to keep a distance between one another and cannot trust others because they don't know who will be the spreaders of the virus. The UK’s economy is in a downturn. Now we are back in New Zealand, a safe land where you can breathe fresh air and open yourself up to socialise with others. We are truly grateful for all the good fortunes here and will cherish them in our hearts.” Mr and Mrs Benton then asked for the address of FGS Temple in the UK, and said that, after their return to the UK when the pandemic has stabilized, they will definitely visit FGS Temple there.
Ray Collins, another Christchurch resident, was very impressed when she visited the After a Thousand Miles Exhibition on 28th January 2021. Ray was particularly impressed by the Drifting Clouds Sculpture. She felt that the theme of the works was conspicuous enough to allow her to understand the meaning conveyed by it without looking at the label. The clouds in the works reminded her of New Zealand's reputation as the Land of Long White Clouds. She herself yearned for the kind of life manifested by the sculpture. While traveling through the mountains and rivers, Ray likes to observe New Zealand's changing clouds.
Ten-year-old boy Tyler Schofield and his sister Samantha were taken by their mother Cathie to FGS Temple South Island to visit the Art and Light Show. As soon as Tyler stepped into the Temple, he remembered that he had previously come to the Temple to participate in the 3G4G Festival of Cultural Sharing activity. In addition to visiting the Light Show, the visitors also toured the After a Thousand Miles Exhibition where they were able to admire the sculptures and paintings of Artist Wen-Jung Hsu. Among the exhibits there, Tyler particularly liked the oil painting Peach Blossom in Loves with Spring Breeze the most. The colours of the painting filled him with joy.
Mr. Chang, from Taiwan, learned about the After a Thousand Miles Exhibition from the roadside advertising billboard. When Mr. Chang saw the biography of Artist Wen- Jung Hsu, he said excitedly: "It is not easy for an artist to win the Taiwan Outstanding Young Artist Cultural & Arts Award, the Wu San lien Arts & Literature Award of Creativity and the Sun Yat Sen Academic and Cultural Foundation’s Arts and Literature Award! Wen-Jung Hsu is such an outstanding artist!" Mr. Chang was full of praises for Artist Hsu’s drawing of cows in his paintings. He said that Artist Hsu must have a deep affinity with cows to be able to paint them so vividly.
Many visitors claimed that the exhibits had filled their hearts with peace and tranquillity. They promised to revisit the Exhibition in future to gain different insights and experiences. The After a Thousand Miles Exhibition will be held at FGY Art Gallery Christchurch until 28th March 2021.