Chinese Sculptor to Carve MLK Memorial
Because really, what could be more Chinese than Martin Luther King and the American black civil rights movement?  So Chinese.  And not only will the sculptor be Chinese, but the stone as well.  China's all over this one.  On Thursday, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts chose China's "national treasure" Master Lei Yixin to create the 28-foot likeness of Dr. Martin Luther King, to stand at the new D.C. memorial dedicated to the civil rights leader.   Contrary to my initial assumption people in China couldn't give a rat's ass about Martin Luther King, Lei told the AP, "Martin Luther King is well known all around the world. In China, everyone knows about him."  I did a little research of my own, asked a few Chinese people.  They all know the speech, nobody quite understands its message.  The sculpture will be carved from a light beige variety of granite stone found in China's Fujian province, according to the AP, and the project itself, expected to last a year, will take place in D.C. at the site of the statue's erection.  OK, that sounded bad.  The statue won't have an erection.  At least I hope not.  Because the statue is going to be of King with his arms crossed.  And it would look kind of funny if...alright you get it, it's being built where the statue will be.  Facing the Jefferson Memorial, to be exact.  There will be 14 quotations of Dr. King adorning the statue.  Lei, who has carved a famous likeness of Mao Zedong said of the project, "When I was assigned to the task, I felt tremendous pressure and responsibility.  This is the most important project I have ever had."  While Lei Yixin is obviously a very accomplished artist, I can't help but think it is a little strange to have a Chinese sculptor carving the first D.C. memorial dedicated to a black American.  I mean first, it would be nice to have an American do it.  And second, it would be a bit more meaningful if an African-American sculptor was chosen to carve King.  Of all the things to outsource to China?

•AP: Chinese Sculptor to Carve King Memorial

 

 

 

 

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