Internationally acclaimed master artist Huang Yongyu's massive painting "World Peace" was officially unveiled today at the United Nations Compound in Beijing.

Donated by the artist to the United Nation in China, the painting echoes the tapestry of Picasso's Guernica which hangs at the entrance to the UN Security Council Chambers in New York.

"It is a call to commit to the ideals of peace and development," said Khalid Malik, United Nations Resident Coordinator in China, at the unveiling ceremony. "The message of this extraordinary painting represents the very principles of what the UN was founded upon, and the message continues to resonate today. A commitment to peace is a commitment to human development and security," he added.

With the size of approximately 2x3 meters, the painting shows cranes swooping over lotus flowers and is inscribed with a text of peace in Chinese characters, which reads: "Let no person in the world be left in hunger or fear. No Fear. No Hunger. Let the birds and flowers of peace bring prosperity to all people in the world."

"Artists, through their work, are powerful spokespersons of the values of the UN. The painting communicates empathy and political commitment for change, and is a vibrant reminder that humanity and nature are always intertwined," said Malik.

"World Peace" will be a valuable addition to the art collection of the UN, which includes works such as the sculpture "Non-Violence" by Karl Fredrik Reutersward of a gun barrel tied in a knot, and "Single Form" by Barbra Hepworth, both standing outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York.  

Born in 1924, Huang Yongyu is one of China's most celebrated cultural icons. "World Peace" is an example of his work of combining Chinese ink with Western oil painting technique, which has garnered him an international reputation as a reformer of Chinese art.  He is known for painting swiftly using paintbrushes, branches, dry pulp and his fingers.

A living legend and testament to human strength and survival, Huang was forced to flee school during the Second World War and left at the age of 15 to make a living from selling his prints to newspapers and magazines. Now, over 70 years later, Huang's painting, "World Peace," is installed on the wall of the Large Conference Room at the UN Compound in China as a reminder of humanity's shared obligation to peace and the eradication of hunger and poverty.  

(China.org.cn December 19, 2006)