Choice of Chinese Artist Sparks Row Over King Statue

The plan to erect a giant memorial statue of Martin Luther King on the National Mall in Washington has become embroiled in controversy after it was decided to appoint a Chinese artist as the lead sculptor.

Lei Yixin was spotted by a team from the King Memorial Foundation when he was taking part in a discussion on stone carving in Saint Paul, Minnesota, which is twinned with his home town of Changsha.

The foundation was looking for a sculptor capable of working with a huge block of granite that would become the centerpiece of the planned memorial: a nine-meter (30ft) statue of King called the Stone of Hope.

But Mr Lei's promotion last month to the role of head artist, or "sculptor of record" has drawn heavy criticism. He replaced Ed Dwight, an African-American artist who had been in charge until he complained about Mr Lei's amendments to the design.

Mr Dwight says he has been told that Mr Lei had been promoted in the hope of attracting $25m (£12m) towards the costs of the project from the Chinese government - a claim the foundation denies.

Spearheading the protesters is a black artist from King's home town of Atlanta, Gilbert Young, who has set up a website, kingisours.com. Mr Young says it is "crazy" that the foundation could not find an African- American sculptor good enough to create a likeness of the civil rights leader, who was assassinated in 1968.

It was a "slap in the face" to ask a Chinese artist to sculpt "the centerpiece of the most important African American monument, in recognition of the most important African American movement in the history of the United States. We as African Americans have a right to depict the life and legacy of one of our most beloved leaders as we saw him," he said.

Interviewed in China by the Los Angeles Times, Mr Lei said he would do a good job. "I've seen sculptures of Martin Luther King in America, and none of them was perfect. I think I can do better."

The memorial, which will sit on four acres of Washington's Tidal Basin, sandwiched between the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials, is scheduled to open next year at a cost of $100m.

The foundation has raised about $79m. A fund raising concert will be held in New York in September to help raise the rest.