Co-organized by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM), under the auspices of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and the National Art Museum of China (NAMOC), the exhibition “Fusion – Exhibition of Artworks of Macao Artists 2019” was inaugurated on 8 November at the NAMOC in Beijing, showcasing a total of 76 pieces (sets) of artworks by 65 Macao artists, including calligraphy, Chinese ink paintings, water paintings, oil paintings, prints, mulit-media pieces, ceramics, sculptures and installations. The opening ceremony was held in a lively atmosphere and was officiated by the Member of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and Vice President of the China Democratic League, Xu Hui; the former Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China in Mexico, Qiu Xiaoqi; the Director of the Department of Exchange and Cooperation of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Wu Wei; the Director of the National Art Museum of China and Vice President of the China Artists Association, Wu Weishan; the Deputy Director of the Palace Museum, Zhao Guoying; the First Class Inspector of the Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs Office of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, Li Jiangang; the Deputy Director of Beijing Liaison Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao S.A.R., Zhang Xueqian; the Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee of the National Art Museum of China and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Zhang Baicheng; the Deputy Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee of the China National Academy of Painting and Secretary of the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, Wang Qingwen; the Vice President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Chan Kai Chon; the Director of the Minsheng Art Museum in Beijing, Zhou Xujun; the former Director of the Nanjing Museum, Xu Huping; the Deputy Director of the School of Design of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Lu Pinchang and the renowned sculptors Sheng Yang and Cao Chun, with the presence of many cultural and artistic professionals from both cities.
The artworks displayed in this exhibition, which were selected by a jury from an open call, include three Jury Award winning works, seven Distinction Award winning works and 66 pieces (sets) of shortlisted works. The Jury Award winning works are: In the Mountain in the “Chinese Painting & Calligraphy” category created by Tam Chon Kit, who is pursuing a doctoral degree in the Central Academy of Fine Arts; Walls III in the “Western Painting” category created by art teacher Lam Un Mei; and Gaze Around, an installation in the “3D & multi-media Art” category created by Xu Lingzhi, who has worked as a painter, designer and in the field of applied arts for around 50 years. By combining objective elements of rock and stone and subjective feelings towards the environment, Tam Chon Kit has created an inner world which is both real and illusory, breaking tradition yet preserving features of traditional Chinese paintings. Lam Un Mei probes into the relationship between nature and humanity using contemporary languages and psychological suggestions in her work Walls III, which shows unique creativity in terms of theme and composition through a rich variety of narrative elements. In Gaze Around, Xu Lingzhi has seamlessly incorporated the past and present beauty of Macao and represented its unique elements and historical footprints through a distinctive form of visual art.
Among the exhibits are also seven Distinction Award winning works, namely the Former Fu on Red Cliff by Chong Kim Seng, Blessing by Ieong Weng Kuong, Bodhisattva by Lou Shaoyi, Lotus by Ho Pan, Raising the Flag in the Land of Lotus by Gu Yue, Historical Memory by Mak Kuong Weng, and series of Movement III and Movement V by Leung Tat Hong, as well as 66 pieces (sets) of shortlisted works.
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 20th anniversary of Macao’s Handover to China, MAM and NAMOC jointly presented thematic exhibitions in Macao and Beijing. Following the exhibition “Beauty in the New Era: Masterpieces from the Collection of the National Art Museum of China” in May this year, both museums join hands again to bring the works of Macao artists to Beijing and introduce them to Mainland audience, taking advantage of this exhibition to show Macao’s artistic appeal since its handover and its cultural consciousness of the time.
The exhibition “Fusion – Exhibition of Artworks of Macao Artists 2019” is held on the 5th floor of NAMOC until 30 November. The NAMOC, located at 1 Wusi Dajie, East District in Beijing, is open daily from 9am to 5pm, from Tuesday to Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, please visit the MAM website at www.MAM.gov.mo or the NAMOC website at www.namoc.org.