疫境勇者 「疫」起畫出：小藝術家見證三好勇士 ｜ Pandemic Heroes: Young Artists Showcase TAG Warriors’ Bravery
【羅蘭第一分會 潘青霞】新冠疫情似乎已經離我們很遙遠，卻又恍如昨日。回想那幾年，您記得什麼？是停屍間爆滿、遺體不得不相疊在冷藏貨櫃車裡的景象？是一罩難求的日子？還是疫苗該打不該打的激烈爭論？病毒起源的大辯論？或是關於5G網路基地台散播病毒的各種謠言？
那幾年，我們為所見所聞流淚、困惑、憤怒。然而，我們可能忘了，在疫情的困境中，還有那或許微弱但永不消失的三好與勇氣，國際佛光緣小藝術家們把它們畫出來了。
佛光緣美術館西來館自8月17日起，展出第十四屆國際佛光緣小藝術家獎「為三好勇士加油」得獎作品，展覽將持續至9月29日。
因應2022年全球遭遇新冠疫情，第十四屆國際佛光緣小藝術家獎的徵畫主題是「為三好勇士加油」，旨在鼓勵兒童通過繪畫表達對防疫工作者和實踐「三好」精神者的感謝。在來自全球近八千件的作品中，經過審查，最終選出281件得獎作品。
自2023年6月起，這些得獎作品在台灣、日本、馬來西亞、美國、法國等8個佛光緣美術館分館展開「兒童巡迴美展」，讓更多人見證在疫情下展現的人性光輝與溫暖。
14歲的Carla G. Salazar以炭筆素描手法，描繪了佛光山開山祖師星雲大師提倡的「三好」運動，在疫情期間為世界帶來的美好，她的畫作標題為《星雲大師說：「三好」拯救全球的疫情》。同樣14歲的Jazmyn Izem G. Bayona的畫作標題為《三好，讓世界更美好的疫苗》，也讓我印象深刻。
小藝術家們的作品盡顯「佛性童心」，讓我一路微笑並讚歎不已！其中，4歲的江侑安所畫的「三好勇士」特別吸引我，我在前面駐足了良久。怎麼說呢？勇士的臉型似乎不太標準，其中一位勇士的表情也不太「三好」，不是應該微笑嗎？我在心裡咕噥，但隨即意識到，是自己根深蒂固的傳統美學觀念在作祟，便笑了起來。他的童真作品樸實無華，更顯珍貴，這就是為什麼成人應該來欣賞這些小藝術家的作品吧？
第十四屆國際佛光緣小藝術家獎「為三好勇士加油」2022得獎作品電子書 點這裡
攝影 ：潘青霞 Photography by Ching Pan
Pandemic Heroes: Young Artists Showcase TAG Warriors’ Bravery
【By Ching Pan from Rowland Heights Subchapter 1】
The COVID-19 pandemic may seem distant now, yet it feels as though it was just yesterday. When you look back on those years, what comes to mind? The overflowing morgues and bodies stacked in refrigerated trucks? The days of desperately searching for masks? The heated debates over whether to get vaccinated? The arguments over the virus’s origins? Or the rumors that 5G towers were spreading the virus?
During those years, we shed tears, felt confusion, and experienced anger over what we saw and heard. Yet, we might have forgotten that amidst the pandemic’s challenges, there was still something perhaps faint but never fading—the Three Acts of Goodness (TAG) and courage. The International Fo Guang Yuan Young Artist Award has captured these qualities in their artwork.
The Fo Guang Yuan Hsi Lai Art Gallery is showcasing the winning pieces from the 14th International Fo Guang Yuan Young Artist Award under the theme “Root for the Three Acts of Goodness Warriors.” The exhibition runs from August 17 to September 29.
In 2022, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, this theme encouraged children to express their gratitude for frontline workers and those embodying the “TAG” spirit through their art. Out of nearly 8,000 submissions worldwide, 281 pieces were selected as winners.
Since June 2023, these winning artworks have been on a global tour, showcased at Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery branches in Taiwan, Japan, Malaysia, the United States, and France. This tour allows a broader audience to experience the warmth and brilliance of humanity captured during the pandemic.
Among the impressive entries, 14-year-old Carla G. Salazar used charcoal sketches to depict the “Three Acts of Goodness” movement advocated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, the founder of Fo Guang Shan Monastery. Her artwork, titled “Venerable Master Hsing Yun Said: The Three Acts of Goodness Saved the World from the Pandemic,” highlights the positive impact of these principles during the pandemic. Similarly, 14-year-old Jazmyn Izem G. Bayona’s piece, titled “Three Acts of Goodness: Vaccines for a Better World,” also made a lasting impression on me.
The artworks on display radiate the “Buddha Nature and Child’s Mind” of the young artists, leaving me smiling and amazed throughout my visit. One piece that stood out was “Three Acts of Goodness Warriors” by 4-year-old Youan Jiang. I found myself lingering in front of it for a long time. The warriors’ faces seemed unconventional, and one warrior’s expression didn’t quite fit the “TAG” ideal—shouldn’t they all be smiling? I found myself grumbling inwardly, only to realize that my deeply ingrained traditional aesthetic sensibilities as an adult were at play. I couldn’t help but smile at my own reaction. The simplicity and innocence of his artwork make it all the more precious. This is why adults should come and appreciate these young artists’ works.
14th International Fo Guang Yuan Young Artist Award 2022 Award-Winning Artwork Collection Click here
