From criminal to artist, a young Taiwanese discovers the "true freedom " of Christmas
Taipei ( AsiaNews) - The most beautiful Christmas gift is redemption after a difficult period . "I thought I was going to have to leave my parish without the hope of seeing a talented young artist mature here - says Father Barry (丁松青 神父, pictured with the young people of his parish and his works ) - although to be honest I did not see him grow as an artist. He was an unexpected gift for Christmas 2013". The priest is speaking about a young Taiwanese man who , after a long time in prison, discovered a great artistic talent .
Fr. Barry
has lived for almost forty years in the parish of Qingchuan (清泉) , an aboriginal Atayal village in the
mountains of the province of Hsinchu (新竹 县) . He
himself is a renowned artist of mosaics and stained glass especially with
depictions of characters from the Bible and the history of the village. But
to produce his art he has always been forced to call other artists from other
parts of Taiwan. But
now Beili , 35 originally from Qingquan , has returned home after ten years in
prison. And
in those ten years, under the guidance of a skilled teacher of painting, he
first discovered and then cultivated and perfected, studying and practicing
every day, the art of painting .
He
is a talented portrait painter as well as landscapes and scenes of village
life. Above
all, he paints with great passion, getting up every morning before six to paint
and now is working on a project for a series of paintings in the parish. He
also received two other commissions by two wealthy inhabitants of the
provincial capital.
He
does not like to talk much , merely saying that for him painting is a great
passion: "I love it and allows me to communicate what I have inside
," he says as he continues to refine the final details of the canvas that
he has almost finished painting . "This
is one of the cases in which re-education has been exemplary. If it was always
like that, we should all go to jail for some time and learn something useful"
jokes Father Barry .
After
the Christmas holidays Beili will return to prison as a teacher of painting in
order to pass his passion on to new inmates : "What I received , I wish I
could communicate to others who may not yet know they have this talent." He
said that he thought he could never be an artist after he was arrested for
involvement in a alcohol fueled gang brawl that resulted in an accidental
murder . Everything
seemed to be over then without a future.
Instead
it was in jail that Beili began to rediscover himself and was reborn: "One
day they proposed painting classes which many dismissed because they thought it
was a waste of time ," he says . "Instead
I chose to do the course and it helped me find serenity and discover that I had
a talent and a passion for art that surprised even me. I was also fortunate to
have an excellent and patient teacher, who was able to motivate me in times
of difficulty and accompanied me throughout my education".
Now
Beili receives several commissions, first from Father Barry who entrusted him
with paintings for the church and asks him to help in the windows that must
deliver to other dioceses , but also from other wealthy people who commission
portraits or paintings for their private homes. But
he has not cut all ties with the prison where he spent ten years, has been in
demand as a teacher. "
I like it because I can pass on to the new students a passion for art. There is
so much time in the prison and if used
properly can help people rediscover themselves and the gifts that the Lord has
given them. For this Christmas 2013 I
want to thank Jesus for everything that he gave me over the years. Now I am
free , but the real freedom he has given me is the gift of painting that has
allowed me to express my potential . "Everyone's life is different,
sometimes following different and unexpected circumstances, when all seems lost
and instead you are reborn". I have to thank all the people around me ,
especially my teacher in prison. Without him I could not have become what I am
today".
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