Chinese painter Liu Yi portrays Tibet self-immolators over past 3 years
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In this photo taken on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012, Beijing-based artist Liu Yi casts his shadow on his painting of portraits of Tibetans who have self-immolated over the past three years as he works at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. --PHOTO: AP
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Beijing-based artist Liu Yi paints a portrait of a Tibetan who has self-immolated over the past three years, at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
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Portraits of Tibetans who have self-immolated over the past three years painted by Beijing-based artist Liu Yi are displayed at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
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Beijing-based artist Liu Yi paints a portrait of a Tibetan who has self-immolated over the past three years, at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
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Beijing-based artist Liu Yi prepares to work near his paintings of portraits of Tibetans, who have self-immolated over the past three years, on display at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
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Beijing-based artist Liu Yi pauses in front of his painting of Tibetans at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Mr Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
In this photo taken on Tuesday, Dec 25, 2012, Beijing-based artist Liu Yi casts his shadow on his painting of portraits of Tibetans who have self-immolated over the past three years as he works at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. --PHOTO: AP
Beijing-based artist Liu Yi paints a portrait of a Tibetan who has self-immolated over the past three years, at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
Portraits of Tibetans who have self-immolated over the past three years painted by Beijing-based artist Liu Yi are displayed at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
Beijing-based artist Liu Yi paints a portrait of a Tibetan who has self-immolated over the past three years, at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
Beijing-based artist Liu Yi prepares to work near his paintings of portraits of Tibetans, who have self-immolated over the past three years, on display at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
Beijing-based artist Liu Yi pauses in front of his painting of Tibetans at his studio in Songzhuang art village in Tongzhou, on the outskirt of Beijing. Mr Liu is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule. -- PHOTO: AP
BEIJING (AP) - Beijing-based artist Liu Yi is working on a series of black-and-white portraits he knows will never be shown in a Chinese gallery. His varied subjects - men and women, young and old, smiling and pensive - have one thing in common: They are Tibetans who have set themselves on fire to protest repressive Chinese rule.
Mr Liu wants to paint a portrait of each of the hundred-or-so Tibetans who have self-immolated over the past three years, as a way of bearing witness to one of the biggest waves of fiery protests in recent history. With each brushstroke, Mr Liu is making a heartfelt plea: The burning must end.
"When I'm painting, I'm thinking: 'Enough, enough, don't do this anymore. Stop,"' said the soft-spoken artist who has completed 40 so far.
Mr Liu is rare among his contemporaries for addressing the largely taboo topic. Only a tiny handful of activists from the Han Chinese majority have spoken out, among them the prominent legal scholar Xu Zhiyong.
