Organized by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the exhibition “In Love with Macao – Calligraphy and Paintings of Macao”, was inaugurated today (4 May) on the 4th floor of the MAM, featuring a total of 90 pieces/sets of artworks by painters and calligraphers who lived in Macao or had ties with the city in someway from the 1930s to the 21st century, including 58 Chinese paintings by 65 local artists, immigrants or artists who lived in Macao since a young age, 19 calligraphy works, one mixed media work as well as 12 seals, seal collections and seal engravings used by painters and calligraphers of former generations, presenting traditional Chinese paintings, calligraphy and seal engraving in a systematic organization and showcase throughout Macao’s development.
The opening ceremony was held in a lively atmosphere and drew many spectators. Officiating guests include the Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao S.A.R., Wan Sucheng; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government, Mok Ian Ian; the President of Yu Un Chinese Calligraphers and Painters Association of Macao, Chui Sai Cheong; the President of the Macau Artist Society, Lok Hei; the President of the Macau Association of Calligraphy and Sculpture of Seals, Sio Chun Iun; the Vice-President of the Executive Council of the Chinese Cultural Exchange Association, Lam Iok Fong; and the Director of the Macao Museum of Art, Chan Kai Chon.
In his speech, the Director of MAM, Chan Kai Chon, stated that the artworks reflected the development of Macao’s Chinese painting and calligraphy in the 20th century, counting not only the virtuosity of the artists, but also their creativity. It not only left an indelible marks on the development of arts in Macao, but also recorded irrevocable emotions and pursuits, revealing the corner of the artistic history of Macao and even the Greater Bay Area in the past 80 years.
Due to the special historical background of Macao, many Mainland Chinese moved to or temporarily settled in Macao during the 20th century for a number of reasons; among these were numerous artists or collectors who had a distinct influence on modern Chinese painting and calligraphy, including the first director of the China Academy of Art, Zheng Jin; one of the founders of the Lingnan school of painting, Gao Jianfu; the third classified in the Qing dynasty’s last imperial exam, Shang Yanliu; the artists who had ties with the city, Deng Fen, Li Yan Shan and Yao Su Ruo and the renowned painter Zhang Daqian. It was thanks to their impulse that an important period for the development of Chinese painting and calligraphy in Macao took shape. This exhibition is based on the Chinese painting and calligraphy archived at the MAM and the Macao Museum, as well as collections of the artists’ relatives or private collectors, reviewing the development of Chinese painting and calligraphy in Macao during this period and the cultural exchanges. The MAM has always been dedicated to collecting, organizing, displaying and studying Macao’s artworks, in order to fully present the times and development of local art and allow the public to understand Macao’s role and contribution towards the development of Chinese art, thereby enhancing the public confidence in Chinese culture.
The album for the exhibition “In Love with Macao – Calligraphy and Paintings of Macao” is now available for sale at the Macao Museum of Art Gift Shop and is priced at MOP170.
The exhibition runs until 12 August. All residents and tourists are welcome. The Macao Museum of Art, located at Avenida Xian Xing Hai, NAPE, is open daily from 10am to 7pm (no admission after 6:30pm), including public holidays, and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free. For more information, please visit the MAM website at www.MAM.gov.mo or call through tel. no. 8791 9814 during office hours.