The painter Zhang Yan donated protective masks to Vatican

Zhang Yan

Rome [ENA] On 6th July, the Vatican Pharmacy received 500,000 surgical masks donated by six donors. They are Chinese painter Mr. Zhang Yan, Mr. Shen Dechun the CEO of Guokeruiye (Shenzhen) Technology Co., Ltd., Ms. Yang Miaoci of Xiamen Zhongzhong Group, Mr. Ye Yongshun of Zhangzhou Yuanli Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Mr. Lin Xiaofeng of Zhangzhou Anyue Sanitary Products Co., Ltd. and Mr. Yang Yinquan of Yunzan (Xiamen)

Industrial Co., Ltd. This is not the first time that the Vatican Pharmacy has received donations from China since the COVID-19 outbreak, but it is the first time that individuals have donated such a large number of masks to the Pharmacy.Covid-19 is raging all over the world, claiming many lives. Mr. Zhang Yan, a celebrated painter and artist said that “during the outbreak of the epidemic in China, the Pope prayed for my country and offered great help by donating protective materials”. Zhang Yan (Chinese: 张焰) was born on 18 November 1963 and i salso a documentary director. He worked as a documentary director during 1992 to 2002. In 1992, he worked in the editorial department of Tibet TV Station, where he was committed to studying Tibetan

Zhang Yan with Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta,

culture and history as well as local Buddhism. When he came back to Beijing in 1997, he joined the CCTV News Review Department, as the director of “The Time and Space of the East, the Son of the East” column. He participated in “The 72-hour Hong Kong Return Program” in Hong Kong. In the following year, his two documentaries participated in the Hungarian Internatioanl Television Festival. Considering that Italy is being threatened by the disease and short of materials, Mr. Zhang Yan wished to follow the Pope's care for the well-being of the mankind, and so decided to help in fighting the epidemic so as to bring life back to normal as soon as possible.

Prayer by Zhang Yan

Mr. Zhang Yan expressed special thanks to Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, for his support. Under the suggestion of the Secretariat of State, he directly contacted the Vatican Pharmacy, and with the active cooperation of Father Binish Thomas OH, director of the Pharmacy, all the documents were ready before the delivery of the 500,000 masks. The relationship between Mr. Zhang Yan and the Vatican comes back to 2017, Mr. Zhang Yan’s two oil paintings "Iron staff Lama" and "the Cradling Arm" were selected to be presented to Pope Francis as a token of "the Chinese People's Friendship" and then collected by the Vatican Museum.

The chinese artist was very honored to see his only two charcoal drawings under the name of "Snow Saint" permanently collected by the Pope and the Vatican Library, and to be personally awarded the "Certificato di pergamena" by Giuseppe Bertello, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. On May 14, in order to stop the epidemic, Pope Francis invited all religious believers to fast and pray according to their respective religions, beliefs and doctrines. They are called upon to observe fast and practice compassion and good deeds, and to pray for the Lord to stop the epidemic, save us from the suffering, help scientists to find a cure at an early date, and bring the world out of the great pain in health, economy and

humanity. Mr. Zhang Yan’s work "Prayer" is currently on exhibition at Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey. In the painting, four lamas hold Tibetan incense to pray piously at this quiet time and in this pure space, depicting the sincerity of prayer. For the artist, prayer is something that we are born with. “It is the expression, earnest hope and confession from the bottom of our hearts, regardless of religion and nationality. This covid-19 makes us realize our own smallness in a world without omnipotence where the virus attacks indiscriminately”. The painting “Prayer” conveys his most sincere wish.