Jesus Healing a Blind Man

Jesus Healing a Blind Man

The metaphor in this painting is about the spiritual sight of the light of God through faith and the new life coming out of the old one.
There are two figures featured at the center place in this painting, a calm and loving Jesus and a faithful blind man who is facing toward the Lord. A dramatic moment is portrayed as Jesus stands and touches the blind man, who abandons his cane since he is about to have his sight restored. The butterfly is behind them with open wings, and the eye images on the wing tips are the indication of the expanding holy power and amazing new sight. In addition, it is the symbol of the resurrection as the butterfly indicates the transformation from blindness to sight and from death to life again. In order to emphasize this theme, seven small red butterflies line up at the bottom of the piece in a repetitious manner.

Lu Lan’s Art

I have two styles in my paintings. One is called Chinese folk art. Here I used a traditional Chinese approach to interpret Bible stories and themes, basically from 1993 to 1996, after my graduation from college. I wanted to bring out the feeling of the stories with my own Chinese understanding. I have been inspired by simple paintings of our minority people, emphasizing pattern, form, and a more traditional style. I finished all of these paintings in China. The materials I used were tempera and cardboard. This style brings a joyful and sweet message, and it has been expressed vividly and naturally with bright colors.
The other style is Chinese ink and color, by which I try to bring out a more profound and strong idea about my personal perspective of Christianity. I use a kind of rice paper that Chinese people used for windows in ancient times. It is very tough and yet also flexible when you draw on it with Chinese ink and brush. I started this style in China and continued it when I came to Wesley Theological Seminary in the United States, where I have dug out of myself very profound images through my personal seeking as a Christian.

It is nice to look back to your own culture and just be tranquil and spontaneous. I focus on the theme of light, path, water and flower to trace in my painting all my contradictions, constraints and struggles as well as my endurance and hope. Most of these paintings are black and white, which I think brings a very strong power flow through the paper. Light is the symbol of God’s touch, hope and love. Path is the Christian’s journey. Water is interpreted as the eternal life. Flower is the symbol for a human being’s life.

By using the old Chinese buildings as the symbol of the witness of history, I have consciously put myself into all those surroundings with strong personal feeling. Everything could change, but God’s love is unchangeable! Moment by moment, I can see myself in God’s watching. I feel God has opened the door for me, and I just need to walk through it on the path and learn how to endure all kinds of difficulties and challenges (as well as rewards). This is a journey for growing in my faith. The reason I describe my personal feelings is to give evidence of God’s caring. God knows I am struggling, which is the lesson I need to learn.