China’a ‘Portrait Diplomat’—Who Sketched Nelson Mandela, Sculpted Abraham Lincoln—Honors Graham As ‘Sower,’ ‘Messenger Of Hope’
Respected Chinese artist Yuan Xikun, whose 48-inch bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln was gifted to former President Barack Obama by the leader of China, will unveil two sculptures of the late Billy Graham in a ceremony at the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Friday, Sept. 28, alongside Graham’s son Franklin.
WHAT:
Ceremony to unveil two sculptures of Billy Graham
WHEN:
Friday, Sept. 28, 2:30 p.m. ET (media arrival no later than 2:15 p.m. ET)
WHERE:
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association headquarters
1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28201
WHO:
Chinese artist Yuan Xikun and Billy Graham’s son Franklin Graham
A statue, “Billy Graham as Sower,” and a bust, “Billy Graham as Messenger of Hope,” were crafted as the final two sculptures Yuan plans to produce in his career. They were donated by the artist to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association as a gesture to honor Graham’s life, global influence and special connection to China, which was the birthplace of his late wife, Ruth, and the location for six of Graham’s crusades in the late 1980s and early ’90s.
About Yuan Xikun
Yuan has long served as a “Portrait Diplomat.” While living in Japan in the 1980s, Yuan gained a reputation for his skillful portrait sketches of the Japanese royal family. Since then, he has been invited to draw ink-and-wash portraits for 152 foreign dignitaries, which were acknowledged and signed by those dignitaries. Yuan’s sculptures of international celebrities have been collected and unveiled by governments, museums and international organizations in the United States, Japan, Greece, Russia and many others. His sculptures can also be seen in the United States, including an Abraham Lincoln sculpture at the Lincoln Boyhood National Memorial and the National Archive, and “Pioneer of Railroad” at the Amtrak Lounge of Los Angeles Union Station.