Chinese Christian Artist Holds Charity Exhibition in Madrid

Located in Madrid, Spain, Barrio de las Letras District is a renowned art area, a paradise for art lovers and a landmark for the local nightlife, where you can enjoy art and feel the shock brought by different of music styles playing in the area. However, an unknown soft heart is hidden under the boisterous environment of this unique area.

A bazaar named "mercado de las ranas" is held every Saturday of every month and every business owner donates the turnover for that day to charitable organizations to aid the underclass marginalized group. This bazaar was conducted in the beginning of April and has been different from the previous ones, and this is where a Chinese joined the event. 

Dan Nan, the young painter, held a small painting exhibition in the Gallery Blanco Soto, which begins his first bazaar in the city. Having studied the Chinese traditional wash painting style since childhood, he, at 18, started to advance in China Central Academy of Fine Arts. In 2003, he taught art courses in Yanjing Theological Seminary and his personal workshop was established in the seminary one year later. 

In 2006, he joined in the national Christian art exhibition and met Bishop K.H.Ting. The next year, Dan's engraving work "Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet" was sent as a gift to Rowan Douglas Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in his visit to China in 2007. Invited by a mission center in Bavaria, Germany, he held an engraving exhibition in Neuendettelsau and it turned out to be a success, winning the local reporters' admiration for his work. His works were collected by various individuals and organizations.

In 2014, he went to the Philippines to study theology. One year later, he migrated to Madrid and established his workshop in the headquarters of REMAR international. 

He believes that real art is supposed to combine the traditions and innovation of China and the West together. The interpretation of the "spirit" matters a lot in Western paintings, while the concept of "spirit" is obscure in the Chinese side, excluded from the philosophy or religions, never appearing in the painting. So, we should jump out of the Chinese philosophy and enter into the Western philosophy when trying to explain the Word. Therefore, prayer and meditation have been essential parts of his painting process. 

Regarding the charity in Spain, he claims that he is also missionary serving his church in USARA District of Madrid besides holding his identity of an artist since he is a Christian and REMAR international operates as a Christian charitable organization. Meanwhile, he is also a volunteer serving the disadvantaged group in the country.

Seeing many overseas Chinese living at the bottom and even some who can't feed themselves, he hopes to spare no effort to help them and at the same time, to bring the Gospel to them and let them know the presence of God. 

He also longs for more opportunities to cooperate with the overseas Chinese community in Spain to create better living conditions for his fellows.