The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, in collaboration with the Xiling Seal Society and the Macao Calligraphers and Seal Engravers Association, promotes the exhibition “Traces of a Century of Epigraphy - The Art of the Masters of the Xiling Seal Society”, to be held on November 30th, Saturday, at 5:00pm, at the Tap Seac Gallery. The exhibition features 39 original calligraphy and painting works by renowned artists including Wu Changshuo, Ma Heng, Zhang Zongxiang, Sha Menghai, Zhao Puchu, Qi Gong, and Jao Tsung-I. It also showcases 24 oracle bones with ancient Chinese script property of Macao collector Mr. Peter Siu.
The Xiling Seal Society was created by Zhe School seal artists Ding Ren, Wang Shi, Wu Yin and Ye Ming in 1904 in the vicinity of the Xiling bridge at the Gushan Mountain, near the West Lake in Hangzhou, in Zhejiang province. Wu Changshuo was its first president and the society had the mission to preserve seal stones, study seal arts, and promote calligraphy and painting. The society is one of oldest, most influential academic organizations in the international seal engraving circle, thus being hailed as ‘The Top Academic Society’.
In its centennial history, Xiling has congregated many of the best and most important artists in the Chinese artistic community, who were well versed in seal engraving, calligraphy and painting, verifying and studying relics, and Chinese literature and history, such as Li Shutong, Huang Binhong, Fu Baoshi, Pan Tianshou, and Feng Zikai.
To celebrate the society’s 110th anniversary, the Cultural Affairs Bureau together with the Xiling Seal Society and the Macao Calligraphers and the Seal Engravers Association organise this event at the Tap Seac Gallery. Its former and current Presidents are famous calligraphers, painters, and seal engravers who have incorporated profound Chinese philosophy and cultural contents into their consummate techniques, creating many artistic masterpieces. The society’s three vice-presidents have been invited to attend the opening ceremony, and nearly 10 professors specializing in ancient Chinese texts from Tsinghua, Fudan, Zhejiang, Jilin, and Sun Yat-sen Universities will also lead their delegations to attend the opening. It will certainly be a grand event attracting prominent scholars and experts from around the globe!
“Traces of a Century of Epigraphy - The Art of the Masters of the Xiling Seal Society” will run until 9th of February at the Tap Seac Gallery. Admission is free. Opening hours: 10am to 7pm.
