Introduction
The late renowned Macao painter Lok Cheong (1923-2006) made a tremendous contribution to the local painting circle. His family has generously donated a substantial amount of his oeuvre to the Macao Museum of Art (MAM) under the Cultural Affairs Bureau. To commemorate his artistic journey, MAM has now organised the Centennial Retrospective of Lok Cheong’s Art. The exhibition is divided into five sections: (1) Love for the Motherland, (2) Capturing the Character of Macao, (3) Portraits, (4) Sketching from the Heart, and (5) Works by Fellow Artists. It showcases 100 paintings by Lok Cheong, as well as some of his sketches and his friends’ remarkable works which are now exhibited for the first time. Totally 150 artworks are on display, including oil paintings, watercolours, Chinese paintings, drawings, manuscripts and documents. Together, they shed light on Lok Cheong’s life, artistic career and legacy. Lok excelled at mastering and blending Chinese and Western painting techniques. He was a keen observer, and his life experiences provided him with a range of subject matters. Lok’s work is both realistic and offers reflections on life. His oil paintings – such as ‘Living by Rag Picking’ and ‘Rice Aid from the Motherland’– depict the simple and moving life of the people, revealing the painter’s empathy for them. During his life, Lok was the president of the Macau Artist Society for a long time. He nurtured emerging artists while also uniting art enthusiasts and persistently promoting Macao’s cultural exchange with the Chinese mainland. Lok Cheong’s works are expressive, demonstrating his love for Macao and the motherland.