Chinese artist from town on a world-beating mission
400M PAINTING SET TO BECOME SYMBOL OF WORLD PEACE
A RENOWNED Grimsby hotelier is celebrating his 89th birthday today with a message of peace and a pledge to complete a world record-breaking painting. Having secured the Guinness World Record for the longest painting in 1998, father-of-five, Hai Shuet Yeung MBE has set himself a target of creating a 400-metre long watercolour.
After completing 80 metres, he anticipates it will take two more years to reach the end and he aims to finish the day before his 91st birthday.
Mr Yeung also hopes it will become a symbol of world peace and that there will be a venue big enough somewhere in the world to house the masterpiece.
“At 89 years old I just keep on going on and carry on painting,” said Mr Yeung. He said: “I have my own system of looking after myself. I do lots of exercise.” Mr Yeung, who owns The Landings Hotel, in Grimsby, has also been held up as a shining example of how to look after yourself by doctors who invite him to give talks around the country.
He said: “Painting keeps my mind going. The mind does not get old, so the body does not get old. I also eat good food.”
Mr Yeung, who received an MBE in 2008 for his contribution to culture, was invited to the Beijing Art Exhibition in 2013 and it was there that the idea of a giant canvas began. He has called it “The Global Village.”
He said: “It gave me an idea. In the world there are so many arguments about religion. We are all human. Religion is a freedom and people should believe what they want. We need to look after each other. It is only in peace that people can grow.” The first 80 metres of the canvas were completed before Mr Yeung focused on other painting projects, including a massive Koi carp canvas.
But as he approaches his 90th year he is determined to complete his biggest mission. He even has a small mattress to lie on while he is painting.
“It is 400-metres long and will make a big noise,” he said.
He has included watercolour scenes of different churches, including Buddhist, Muslim, Christian and Tibetan places of worship. It has a wonderful array of colours and different settings, including China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. There are many beautiful country scenes from his memory of China.
“So many of the Chinese villages are now towns and cities,” he said.
The painting will ultimately weigh 180kg. He added: “I hope someone will build a place big enough to hang the painting. There could be a large round building with a revolving restaurant in the middle with the painting in the outside wall.”
Mr Yeung has five children, sons Ming, Cheung and Sze Wai and daughters Sze Man and Sze Ewha and he is grandfather to eight.