On September 13, following the mass at Catholic Xiyan Church in Shanghai, a Latin memorial mass was celebrated in honor of the late Christian artist Daozi. The service, held at the memorial platform in the right corner behind the church, was conducted according to Catholic tradition.
The commemoration of Daozi was initiated by Sister Guo, a parishioner who, together with the priest and volunteers, had previously welcomed Daozi during his visit to Xiyan Church. The church is also one of the churches that houses Daozi's painting "The Sorrowful Christ." Christian playwright Jiang Yuanlai recalled that Daozi had visited the church to engage in meaningful dialogue with the priest and parishioners. Daozi had once expressed his hope that, after retirement, he might spend time there and attempt to paint the church.
The priest presiding over the memorial mass admitted he had never met Daozi or studied his artwork. However, he was moved after watching an interview with the artist. In the interview, when told he had trained many students and "done his work well for Tsinghua University," Daozi responded with emotion, "I hope to do my work well for Jesus." The priest also highlighted that Daozi was first a poet and only began painting after his conversion to Christianity, seeking to "express his faith in a new language." Daozi described his style as "Saintism Ink-Wash Painting" and believed that "every work should have a soul." The priest said these details exemplified Daozi's sincere expression and practice of faith.
During the memorial Mass, Catholic and Protestant parishioners joined together in singing the Latin hymn Ansorium, as the priest presided over the Latin rite in remembrance of the deceased.
The service left a profound impression on Protestant attendees. Jiang remarked, "Our Protestant co-workers and congregants are deeply grateful to our Catholic brothers and sisters for initiating and organizing this memorial Mass. It is yet another genuine expression of the ecumenical spirit of Christianity."
The memorial mass also commemorated, along with Daozi, other Catholic believers and deceased family members who were not Christians.
Daozi, whose real name was Wang Min, was a distinguished Christian artist, painter, poet, and contemporary art critic. Beginning in 2000, he pioneered "Saintism Ink-Wash Painting," integrating his understanding of Christian faith with traditional Chinese ink painting, producing a significant body of work. In 2016, his monumental ink painting "God and Gold", which had won the Misereor Foundation Award, was displayed during Lent at the Stiftsbasilika St. Peter und Alexander in Aschaffenburg, Germany. That year, churches across Europe reproduced the piece as full-length canvases for use in their Lenten services.
Originally published by the Christian Times
- Edited by Katherine Guo and translated by Poppy Chan
