'One historian has estimated that if the dead from Nanking were to link hands, they would stretch from Nanking to the city of Hanchow, spanning a distance of some two hundred miles. Their blood would weigh twelve hundred tons, and their bodies would fill twenty-five hundred railroad cars. Stacked on top of each other, these bodies would reach the height of a seventy-four-story building.'

Iris Chang 1997. The Rape of Nanking The Forgotten Holocaust of World War 11. Penguin.

"The Rape of Nanking" project is a combined arts project exploring and highlighting issues arising from the forgotten holocaust which occurred in 1937 when the Japanese army swept into the ancient city of Nanking. Within six weeks, over 300,000 civilians and soldiers were systematically raped, tortured and murdered – a death toll exceeding the atomic blasts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.

The main feature is an exhibition by Chinese/Mauritian artist Queelan Foo-Kune at Bruce Castle Museum in Tottenham. She has produced a collection of paintings, sculptures and an installation which aim to make people aware of the issues and to demonstrate how visual arts can be used to illustrate a specific theme.

There will also be a 'Writer in Residence' at Bruce Castle Museum forming the majority of the educational programme. Writer Pamela Johnson will run workshops with groups from the local community: a secondary school, Haringey's University of the Third Age (based at Bruce Castle Museum) and members of the Chinese community, exploring the themes raised by the exhibition.

Born in Mauritius Queelan Foo-Kune first studied fine art at St Martin's College, London before moving to Yorkshire. She now lives in London and has recently been studying with Maggi Heabling and has exhibited at Cabot Hall, Canary Wharf and has also gained an MA in Visual Arts from London Guildhall University. Her work is featured in collections in the UK, Canada and Mauritius and she has exhibited at Sotheby's and the October Gallery. This is her first opportunity to produce a body of work around a theme of profound personal significance.

The Exhibition runs from the 5th – 30th March 2003. This is not an exhibition easy on the eye, but it is one not to be missed – it truly demonstrates how powerful and effective visual arts can be in drawing attention to horrific historical events.

"If we ignore this issue, it will be like a second rape…never forget potential for evil." Desmond Tutu.

To find out about this and other Chinese related events around the UK, please go to: http://www.dimsum.co.uk/search.php?query=&topic=23.