(Minghui.org) The Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren International Exhibition was held at the Palace Cultural Center in Balchik, Bulgaria on May 4, 2026. All of the paintings were created by Falun Dafa practitioners and showcase the principles of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance. Through the artworks they seek to tell people how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecutes their faith, and depict the strength of practitioners who uphold their faith in China.

The Palace was originally built as the summer residence for the Romanian queen, Marie of Edinburgh. It was constructed between 1924 and 1937. Today, it is a park complex known for its distinctive architecture and its rich botanical gardens that are managed by Bulgaria’s largest university.

The Palace Cultural Center in Balchik, Bulgaria is a former summer villa with sprawling grounds that hosts cultural art events. (Minghui.org)

The Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren Exhibition opened in Balchik, Bulgaria on May 4, 2026. (Minghui.org)

Viewers have photo taken in front of the paintings. (Minghui.org)

Welcoming remarks by Vera Demireva, Cultural Activities Organizer, and Martin Garchev, Exhibition Coordinator, ushered in sculptors, painters, musicians, and others who wished to experience these artworks. The exhibition ran for nearly two weeks, ending on May 14.

Renowned Violinist and Conductor Likes the Exhibition

Martin Panteleev is a world-renowned violin soloist, conductor, and composer. He was at the Palace with his musical group, the Panteleev-Eshkenazi Art Ensemble, that happened to be performing there for a four-day festival while the exhibition was held.

Renowned violin soloist Martin Panteleev visited the Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren Exhibition in Balchik on May 9, 2026. (Minghui.org)

He said, “The exhibition is filled with many different emotions and many different moods and contrasts,” which, for him, come together as one and create an atmosphere, a symbiosis that is exceptionally pure.

Despite the darkness shown in the pieces that depict the persecution, Panteleev believes that the artists’ goal is to show the theme of how Falun Dafa practitioners find enlightenment through the challenges. “As the saying goes: ‘Per aspera ad astra,’ that is, through darkness, toward the light—I think that is the message of this exhibition,” he said.

The ensemble included his mother Marta Panteleeva, father Panteley Panteleev, and their friend Harry Eshkenazi, as well as friend Nikola Milo, a guest accordionist from Serbia.

Marta Panteleeva next to a painting from the Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren Exhibition on May 10, 2026. (Minghui.org)

Panteley Panteleev next to a painting from the Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren Exhibition. (Minghui.org)

Panteleev’s mother, Marta Panteleeva, is a violinist. Looking at the paintings, she sensed “the purity and sincerity.” She said, “It is good for a person to reflect on what life actually is and where it is heading.”

His father, Panteley Panteleev, is a clarinetist. He said that he “experienced a sense of meditation while viewing the beautiful paintings created by the artists.” They inspired him in his art, in his playing, and “it’s simply unique,” he added.

Sculptor: The Exhibition Describes an “Eternal Process, With a Profound Meaning”

Nejmi Murat, a sculptor (second from right) and his wife (first from right) listen to a guide at the Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren international exhibition on May 4, 2026. (Minghui.org)

Sculptor Nejmi Murat and his wife were among the first guests to express their admiration for the paintings when they viewed them on opening night. He opened his own exhibition that day in one of the Palace’s other halls.

He said the artworks inform people about the persecution of Falun Dafa and conveyed the human spirit’s need for something higher.

He said the paintings are moving, “They show us how the hardships, torment, and trials these people go through temper and elevate their souls. This is an eternal process, with deep meaning.”

Cultural Event Organizer Touched

Olya Nikolova, one of the organizers, said she was particularly impressed by the painting, Lotus Candle. “I feel like the lotuses are really glowing,” she said.

Kristina Panayotova, a curator and event organizer, attends the Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren Exhibition in Balchik. (Minghui.org)

Kristina Panayotova, a curator and event organizer at the Palace, was surprised by the painting’s Renaissance style, because she expected them to be traditional Chinese paintings. She is impressed by the contrasts in the scenes that show the themes of karmic retribution. Her favorite painting was The Wonderful Fa.

Diana Guncheva, a tour guide, attended the Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren Exhibition in Balchik. (Minghui.org)

Diana Guncheva, a tour guide, said that we live in rather tense times, in which “goodness must be encouraged in every way possible, and people should have the opportunity to learn for themselves and be able to judge and distinguish good from evil.”

Russian Tourists Drawn to the Spirituality of the Paintings

Two Russian tourists view the paintings. (Minghui.org)

When two tourists from Russia looked at the paintings, they said they felt they stepped into a world of stark contrasts, like an unexpected fairy tale. The paintings depicting the persecution saddened them, but their souls were drawn to the essence of the practice (Falun Dafa), as it was presented in great light, tranquility, and inexplicable joy.

They were particularly drawn to the canvases depicting Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa, teaching Dafa: Turning the Great Wheel of the Fa and Entering the Divine Realm with Purity. They took photos of the paintings and carefully read the captions.

Visitors Condemn the Persecution

A group of visitors from the White Birches Association come to visit the exhibition and condemned the persecution of Falun Dafa. (Minghui.org)

A group of visitors from the White Birches Association of People with Disabilities and Retirees in Sofia toured the exhibition. The ladies said this was the first time they heard about the CCP’s persecution. They viewed the paintings, spoke with a practitioner at the event, and said violence cannot be justified or accepted. They asked to have their picture taken in front of the paintings, which, in their view, radiate hope.

Falun Dafa practitioners from Romania speak with tourists at the Art of Zhen-Shan-Ren Exhibition in Balchik. (Minghui.org)

Since the Palace in Balchik is visited by many Romanian tourists, some Romanian practitioners came to support the event in Bulgaria.

Visitors view the paintings. (Minghui.org)