Toward the 21st Century --
Symphony of World Culture

Colorful, vivid, organic, harmonious, monumental, rich, strong, dynamic..... A passionate symphony of color, form and image; an orchestration of human cultures and nature, of God and human beings, East and West, ancient and modern..... Birds, trees, flowers, animals; oceans, rivers, mountains; temples, palaces; the life within, the life external..... Heroes and heroines of old, symbolic figures; religious icons, scientific icons, political icons..... Venus, Mona Lisa, Christ Jesus, Astronauts, Madonna, Buddha; Mexican, African, Asian, American, Indonesian..... Peking Opera, festivals of all kinds, dancing, shouting, singing, smiling, worshipping, welcoming; hands open, hands in hands, gesturing, fighting, searching, playing, idling.....

All that is life, all that is Being, all that exists, acts, walks, waits, stands, rests, dreams, desires; all of our yearning, praying, loving, flying, meditation..... Snow, water, earth, trees; growing, blossoming, embracing, descending, marching..... Yes - A glorious symphony of world culture marching towards the 21st Century, towards a new era of a global family, towards a new age of "Love" - the real soul of our planet.

An age of Love, without war or hatred
An age of Harmony, of fraternity
An age of Renaissance, of Transcendence
An age of Hardware, Software and SOULware
A new age of Peace, Happiness, and Prosperity!

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This large painting is composed of seven canvases, each one measuring 110" x 80"; thus, the entire painting in its totality is of 110" x 560" in size. It is entitled "Towards the 21st Century: Symphony of World Culture," a tribute by Dr. T. F. Chen to our new millennium with a presentation of key points of human civilization up to the end of the 20th Century, and looking forward to a new century of true Love, active Peace, soulful Happiness, and widespread Prosperity.

These seven panels, each bearing its own title and able to stand by itself, represent characteristic environments and significant cultural achievements of our five continents.

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The far-left canvas represents "Upcoming Latin America," with her magnetic vitality manifested in passionate festivals. Folkloric dancing and music, bright costumes and fiery colors swirl rhythmically underneath beautiful snow-capped mountains and ancient gods. Gestures and shouts of celebration affirm the existence of Latin Americans with their strong desire to play an active role in the 21st Century.

The next panel is called "Africa Onwards." A magnificent bird integrating Arabian dreams flies majestically in the deep twilight sky. Beneath it, a glorious sunset cuts the silhouette of three tall giraffes, reminiscent of the Black Continent of yore when the vast landscape was blessed with abundant wildlife. Yet the grandiose mountains are still there, and patches of land preserved into national parks are accompanying Africa in her modernization. Hopefully, the fighting spirit of tribal natives and the richness of African tradition will not be lost amidst the rapid waves of new development. Rather, humanity must remember to always stay centered in our roots and our life sources.

The third panel is titled "European Hit." This panel witnesses the historical turmoil as well as the cultural achievements of the Western world. The Occidentals have been shaping the world's history for 500 years since the Italian Renaissance, which was a flowering convergency of the ancient cultures around the Mediterranean Sea: Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Judeo-Christian. Venus, Jesus Christ, and the Mona Lisa are three of the most prominent "Icons" of Western culture, which was rationalized in the Age of Enlightenment and then industrialized after the mass productive ability of machines. Yet, in the pursuit of Science untempered by Love, the Western world was gripped in an arms competition and headed unfortunately to destructive wars, as witnessed by Picasso. Amidst the fast-paced material progress that thrives in the West, a nostalgia emerges for a simpler life, a return to the fresh air, sunshine, and pastoral countryside as romanticized by some of the Impressionists.

Pushed on by the excitement of exploration and the yearning for adventure, the Westerners embarked on a journey to the Moon. Led by American astronauts, we, humanity landed on the Moon and ushered in an Age of Space.

"Age of Love" is the central canvas with "Science in Love" as its message. The lower portion of the painting depicts some of humanity's most outstanding individuals from East and West, ancient and present, from all of the different continents: Moses, Confucius, Gandhi, Lincoln, Shakespeare, Rembrandt, Einstein, J. F. Kennedy, Van Gogh, Joan of Arc, etc. Also included in the collage is the word "YOU," symbolizing the difference that you will make upon this earth. Cherishing the freedom of creation, humanity builds a world culture looking towards the 21st Century.

In this canvas, Dr. Chen creates a story that the American astronauts have landed on the Moon only to realize that there is still another Moon waiting for humanity to land upon - the real Moon, the spiritual Moon, the Moon of "Love." Chen used Raphael's "Madonna on the Chair" as the ultimate icon of "Love." "Love," being the real soul of our planet (Teilhard de Chardin), ought to be the preeminent spirit of the new age!

The panel to the right of "Age of Love" is called "Asian Treasure," depicting the cultural achievements and beauty of India, China, and their neighbors. To symbolize China, there is the Dragonhead, with the Great Wall zigzagging like the curving body of the Dragon underneath. Appearing below, the Chinese characters seem to emphasize their importance in forming Chinese civilizations. The vividly painted masks of the Peking Opera are also Chinese icons where color and meaning, symbol and psychology are materialized in forms.

As for Indian civilization, Buddha appears to be its center whose message is carried to all races, as the five dancers from Matisse are tinted in five colors representing the five races. The Taj Mahal in all its splendor is reflected in the water as seen through flowers, leaves, and birds. An empty space in pink allows the panel to breathe while revealing the upper images from Dunhuang, Tibet, and an Indian temple where a divine couple makes love, representing the soul's union with the divinity.

The sixth panel with a large phoenix flying above is called "Far East Onwards." Represented here are images of the Asia not of the continent, but of the ocean: Japan, Taiwan, etc.

With her own tradition and culture, Japan emerged into modern history since the Restoration of Meiji in 1868. While adapting Western ideas and technology, Japan nevertheless preserves her tradition and taste. Taiwan stands between China and Japan. Though profoundly rooted in Chinese culture, Taiwan has approached the path of democracy and modernization.

The last canvas depicts the "Peaceful Oceanian," like the Tahiti loved by Gauguin. Under a beautiful sunset, palm trees murmur as lovers embrace. The ocean undulates in a deep cerulean blue; the golden sunshine penetrates an umbrella of red and purple flowers to pour its light onto a beautiful Indonesian lady. The light, air, scent, and marvel of nature are all there with the Hawaiian paradise, emerging out of its esoteric mythology!

Of course a true sum of our human nature and history upon this God-blessed planet - the ever-changing tapestry of birth, life, growth, suffering, redemption, love, loss, death - is too profound and too vast to ever be captured in one painting or in one artist's vision. Yet hope for the coming of this new age has inspired Dr. Chen to humbly express his own individual vision and to offer his own blessing for the age to come. Dr. Chen is a master artist who believes in the divinity of humanity and the attainable harmony for all of the cultures of the world.

May God bless the new Millennium with Peace, Happiness, and Love! ( by T. F. and Julie Chen )