With the city eagerly anticipating her arrival, the portrait is just the latest in a series of gifts and events that city has planned for the singer when she visits.
Officials have even designated July 3 as "Lady Gaga Day."
In a big-scale welcome ceremony, Mayor Jason Hu will present to Lady Gaga both the key to the city and a painting that fuses characteristics of the city and East Asian culture, said Susan Yeh, director-general of the city`s cultural affairs bureau. She hopes Lady Gaga will enjoy this rare gift that she would not receive anywhere else in the world.
The bureau commissioned Taichung-based painter Chen Hua to create the portrait.
Chen said he painted Lady Gaga based on some posters and added the city`s symbolic landmarks, including the Fulfillment Amphitheater, where the singer will sing later that day, and the Taichung Park Pavilion.
The most difficult part to paint was Lady Gaga`s eyes, which look very wild, he said. They would not look right if the ink and wash paint blurs into each other.
One thing he changed about the star in the portrait was her clothing. He painted Lady Gaga in cheongsam, a traditional Chinese one-piece dress.
Maybe Lady Gaga can consider including the Chinese-style dress in her fashion design after she sees the portrait, Chen mused.
Lady Gaga is scheduled to arrive in Taipei Friday for her first visit to Taiwan. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to flock to Taichung on Sunday when she performs in a promotional show.
(T.A045/H-AK)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
