“Pure View”：meaning ‘Child’s Drawing’, or ‘Fairy Tale’.
Through the innocent eyes of a child,
See oneself, see others,
Paint a scene, an object, the familiar and the unfamiliar.

Pure View® Bali Art Charity Project 2024 will open on August 10, 2024, at the Singapore Whale Art Museum. The exhibition is organized by Tonghua Yujian and NOTHINGART, with collaboration from the Singapore-China Economic, Trade, Technology, Culture, and Education Exchange Association. Sponsors and supporters include Anta Group, InterContinental Hotels Group, Whale Art Museum, Nanyang Management College, Fudan Singapore Alumni Association, Singapore Arts Association, Embassy 1967, Linda Gallery & 33 Auction, and Huarentou News.

Established in 2017, Pure View is an annual non-profit art charity project aimed at supporting education in rural and remote areas through art. It utilizes art as a bridge to facilitate one-on-one assistance and learning between participants.

Since 2017, Pure View has reached Dagaji in Yunnan, Qitai in Xinjiang, Miaozhai in Western Hunan, and now Bali for this edition. We aspire to draw more attention to rural areas through the children’s brushstrokes, helping local communities develop their unique cultural industries and encouraging more parents of left-behind children to return home to support their hometowns’ development.

Dagaji, nestled in the mountains of Yunnan, is where the dream began. When children from the mountains and the city, dressed in Tonghua’s cultural T-shirts, carried their easels and paint boxes, queued up and walked through the village; as they set up their palettes and brushes to meticulously depict what interested them amidst the fields, markets, foot of the mountain, beside houses, and in fellow villagers’ homes; under the curious and admiring gazes of the villagers, old and young alike, something akin to a seed was quietly sown.

(Images/Young volunteers painting at the mountain market)

During the ten days of the event, volunteers overcame challenges like showering with a single hose, sleeping on bare, hard wooden beds, having to go to the toilet in the dark in the middle of the night, boiling water in plastic buckets with electric heaters, and being bitten by mosquitoes.

Of the 15 children from Dagajie who participated in the “Pure View” project, most were left-behind children, some even orphans. They lived in a place lacking material resources, but this did not affect their kindness, simplicity, love for life, and sense of gratitude. They might not have said many heartfelt words of thanks, but they always expressed their gratitude through actions.

(Images/Notes written by local children to Teacher Li)

Together with the participating children, we held an art exhibition at the Wenshan Prefecture Museum, featuring over 60 works of art and photographs from the activities.

(Images/Mutual portraits drawn by the children and notes about each other)

In early August 2019, the scorching summer sun still shone down on the vast land of Xinjiang. Volunteers from Pupil Painting Encounter arrived at the beautiful Jiangbulake Grassland, meeting the children from Qitai County for the first time. Over the next ten days, we went from strangers to friends, from timid to open-hearted, from hesitant to painting freely, with every change happening bit by bit.

(Images/Children drawing the local grandmother)

(Images/Drawings of the kind grandmother)

We remember the shyness and unfamiliarity when the young volunteers first met the children from Qitai, and the tears in the eyes of the Kazakh and Tatar children when they spoke about their hometowns.

(Images/Young volunteers posing with local children)

How deeply they loved the land beneath their feet, we may not fully understand, but we always remember those passionate souls hidden within small bodies!

During the Pure View activity in Liangdeng Miao Village, we experienced very difficult conditions, such as water shortages, inconvenient dry toilets, difficult off-road travel, and old houses, which were part of the daily lives of the local children.

(Images/Our stay in a farmer’s home in Liangdeng Village)

The harsh environment was undoubtedly a tough challenge for all the volunteers, but they persevered. Their actions were not only a help and support to the children, but also a test of their own courage and determination.

This experience was like stepping into two different worlds, from the convenient and well-equipped urban world into a nature-rich but resource-poor world. It was a unique and meaningful experience.

True to the spirit of Pure View, we do not aim to teach professional techniques to the children. Their value lies in their innocence and spontaneity. We seek to inspire them to observe, perceive, and explore the natural world and their surroundings, preserving their original and authentic character.

This year, Pure View brought us to Bali, between the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea, to paint with the children there, walking moss-covered steps, crossing forests, often sitting in rice fields, in the homes of local children, and beside trees, capturing the essence of Balinese life.

(Images/Sitting around a hundred-year-old banyan tree painting)

During the event, we visited many local artists, each with their own unique style. Some were dedicated to painting bees, revealing the philosophy of life in the microcosm; others hid butterflies within lines and shapes, telling stories of transformation and freedom; still others depicted gods and spirits from religion, exploring the deeper meanings of life between the sacred and mysterious.

These artworks carried the voices and philosophical ideas of the artists, hiding profound understandings and unique perspectives under each stroke of vibrant color.

During our free time, we often visited the homes of local children, who were warm and simple, welcoming us at the door with their entire family, offering us taro, corn, sweet potatoes, and other homemade treats.

(Images/Drawing the unique bamboo cage at a friend’s house)

Each household had its own characteristics, with peculiarly piled stones, winding plants, and intricately carved wooden gates.

(Images/Young volunteers absorbed in painting)

There were many difficulties during this event. On one hand, everyone slept on the floor in one room, constantly coming into contact with countless ants and unknown insects, and falling asleep to the sounds of lizards on the roof…

The humid air made clothes difficult to dry, and every touch of skin against damp fabric was like a silent melody of discomfort. Fortunately, we could take showers this time.

(Images/Accommodation in Baru Village)

On the other hand, language was a big issue, as we didn’t speak Balinese. Nevertheless, everyone used various methods to communicate positively with the local children, and the children made efforts to understand each other.

From nothing to something, from zero to one, from knowing to recognizing, from recognition to familiarity, these things are never a problem for children. Children can quickly become friends.

This short ten-day period is not only a precious memory cherished by us volunteers, but also for the children of Bali.

Perhaps someday, when they see the banyan tree, rice fields, or the plants and trees at home, they will want to pick up a brush, observe carefully, and discover the beauty in the ordinary…
This memory will become fuel for your life, igniting great power when you discover beauty!

Children possess the purest eyes in the world. In their eyes, the sky is blue, the wind is clear, the trees are tall, and the insects chirp, fish swim in cool waters, and the world is beautiful, without vanity, fame, or intrigue.

Pure View®️ opened its art public welfare project in Singapore’s Whale Art Museum.

Every pair of eyes was full of attention and sincerity,
Every brush was imbued with seriousness and exploration…

(Images/Pupil Painting Encounter @ Bali exhibition hall)

Their paintings, unadorned by systematic education, are innocent, whimsical, and full of imagination, embodying the most essential form of the world.

We anticipate that through art, children will discover their abilities and strengths, glimpsing new hopes. We aim to inspire them to observe the world, cultivate their powers of observation, and gain self-awareness. By promoting folk traditions, we hope to attract knowledgeable talents to develop rural areas, thereby reducing the number of left-behind children. This exhibition serves to broaden horizons, stimulate creativity and self-confidence, and nurture the hearts and growth of every child. We strive to use art as a catalyst to deepen children’s connections with nature and others.