Tu2 (Ying Ming Tu)

Ying Ming Tu (Tu2) is a co-director of Commonweal’s Gift of Compassion program. He is a Taiwan-born visual artist, whose extraordinary exhibit, 108 Faces of Compassion had its international opening in the Commonweal gallery in 2013. In the 1990s, Tu2’s body of work entitled Mao-ology was presented in Taiwan and Europe (Belgium) creating 50 iconic images—MickeyMao, MinnieMao, AndrogynousMao, ZeroMao, and many more—the conceptual work was met with critical acclaim. Following Mao-ology, was Timeless, a family retrospective in paintings that captured three generations of the Tu clan and its history. After a prolonged sabbatical to reset his spiritual compass, the remarkable new body of work that premiered at Commonweal emerged. Deep blue background, using silver point pencil, Tu2 creates portraits that illuminate the essence and interior qualities of each subject. The work is considered meditation as manifest through the artist. Each portrait expresses awakening, affinity, and compassion. Together, they illustrate the infinite ways in which humanity is connected through space and time. Find out more on Tu2’s website.