Lily Wang’s large Remembrance Day painting will find a home at the Royal Canadian Legion Cloverdale branch.
It was made for the legion’s annual National Youth Remembrance Contest. Wang later found out her artwork was ineligible as the contest doesn’t accept paintings on canvas. (It only accepts posters, literary works, and video submissions.)
When Rosanne Mitchell, president of the Cloverdale branch, heard Wang’s painting wasn’t going to be accepted, she reached out and offered to buy it.
“I was absolutely blown away when I first saw it,” said Mitchell. “I just fell in love with it.”
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Wang, a Grade 11 student at Langley Fine Arts School, said she was inspired to create the artwork after learning about the history of World War II in class.
“I did some research about, and that’s how I was able to incorporate all the details,” Wang said. “I tried to make it as accurate as possible.”
Mitchell said the painting belies Wang’s youthful age.
“It looks like the work of someone who has been an artist for decades,” added Mitchell. “And not for such a young, new artist.”
She said the skill involved to make such a realistic depiction was “incredible” and Wang’s artwork transports the viewer into the scene. And Mitchell marvelled at how a person could create such a scene without having witnessed the horrors unfold.
“To have such a young person understand, and be able to depict with such reality, the conditions, is truly amazing,” she added.
Mitchell immediately offered to buy the painting from Wang when she first saw it.
“She has amazingly and very generously offered to donate it to us,” noted Mitchell. “So we’re going to hang it with a plaque in the legion.”
Wang was humbled by the offer to purchase the piece, but felt she couldn’t take money for it.
“I feel it’s actually one of the best artworks I’ve made,” Wang said.
The subject matter has touched her. She added it’s just the beginning for her in terms of painting about remembrance and Remembrance Day.
“I definitely want to expand on the topic,” Wang said.
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