Oak Brook, Ill., March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zhuo Zhang, a 13-year-old boy from Xi’an, China, has a vision of what peace looks like. Zhang brought that vision to life through his art, earning him the grand prize in the Lions Clubs International Peace Poster Contest.
Zhang was one of 600,000 participants worldwide in the annual Peace Poster Contest sponsored by local Lions clubs, which gives young people aged 11-13 an opportunity to share their vision of world peace through art.
“In my painting, a peace envoy carries a backpack made up of the national flags representing the people from different countries uniting and going forward together,” said Zhang. “The glowing walking stick of peace brings power to the people all over the world. The olive branches growing from the wasteland and the lovely doves flying around him represent new power giving us hope and strength to the people suffering and living in the shadows.”
The winning poster was selected for its originality, artistic merit and portrayal of the contest theme, “Journey of Peace.” The DaTang Lions Club in Xi’an sponsored the local contest that gave Zhang the opportunity to participate in this global event and share his vision with the world.
“I sincerely hope my painting may inspire more people to value peace,” said Zhang. “Let us get together for peace and a better future!”
As the contest winner, Zhang will receive a US$5,000 cash prize. Zhang is also sharing in the celebration with 23 merit winners from around the world. All merit winners receive a US$500 cash prize for their winning artwork.
The 2020 Lions Clubs International Peace Poster merit winners are:
Toma Andries, 12-years-old, Bacau Lions Club, Romania
Gaelle Petraki Bechalani, 11-years-old, Montreal Cedres Du Liban Lions Club, Canada
Keira Brodsky, 13-years-old, Dahlgren Lions Club, USA
Runhe Ge, 11-years-old, Dalian De Long Lions Club, China
Chante Gollop, 12-years-old, Otumoetai Lions Club, New Zealand
Chenxi Gou, 11-years-old, Jiangsu Ting Lin Xian Feng Lions Club, China
William Higgs, 12-years-old, Newport Lions Clubs, Wales
Jianna Kim, 12-years-old, Phil So Phil Lions Club, USA
Lingyi Li, 11-years-old, Sichuan Golf Lions Club, China
Xinyue Liang, 11-years-old, Shenyang Xing Hou Lions Club, China
Wenjing Lin, 13-years-old, Guangdong Heai Lions Club, China
Hannah Martin, 12-years-old, Falmouth Lions Club, USA
Sina Moers, 11-years-old, Wuerselen Lions Club, Germany
Massimo Morato, 13-years-old, Torino Castello Lions Club, Italy
Liam Padua, 13-years-old, Guam Latte Stone Lions Club, Guam
Yihui Ren, 13-years-old, Shenzhen Shan De Lions Club, China
Prajit V.P., 11-years-old, Thrissur Sakthan Thampuran Lions Club, India
Jessie Wang, 13-years-old, Milpitas Executive Lions Club, USA
Tzu-Chien Wang, 11-years-old, New Taipei City Pan Chiao Lions Club, Taiwan
Yuka Yagita, 11-years-old, Neyagawa Chuo Lions Club, Japan
Miao Zhang, 13-years-old, Yunnan Xiong Shi Lions Club, China
Yumeng Zhang, 12-years-old, Harbin Ai Qin Hai Lions Club, China
Fu Zhu, 13-years-old, Beijing Qinhuang Lions Club, China
“The Lions International Peace Poster Contest allows the world to see peace through the eyes of young people - a valuable perspective,” says Lions Clubs International President, Choi. “We are proud to support the creative process of children around the world and to encourage them to always see peace as a workable solution to the conflict.”
The 24 finalists’ Peace Posters will be featured prominently at the 102nd annual Lions Clubs International Convention this upcoming summer in Milan, Italy. Visit the Lions Clubs International website, lionsclubs.org, to view Peace Posters and learn more about the contest.
Lions Clubs International, the world’s largest service club organization, is made up of more than 1.4 million men and women in over 200 countries and geographical areas throughout the world. Lions created the Peace Poster Contest to foster a spirit of peace and international understanding in young people worldwide.
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