View of Penha Hill and Statue of Governor Ferreira do Amaral / George Vitalievich Smirnoff (1903-1947) / Pencil and watercolours on paper / 1944 / 25.6 x 36.5cm
Organised by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM) of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the exhibition “Landscape of Change – Macao Watercolour Paintings from the MAM Collection” opens from 28 September (Friday), in the Exhibition Gallery on the 3rd floor of the MAM. The exhibition features over 70 watercolour paintings from 19th to 20th centuries themed on Macao’s landscapes, showcasing the changes of the city’s urban landscapes over 100 years, and allowing audience to appreciate the rich and diverse styles presented by different artists in their watercolours. The exhibition runs until 10 February 2019 and all are welcome.
In the 19th century, European artists George Chinnery and Auguste Borget depicted the beautiful coastal scenery of Macao through watercolour sketching or panoramic composition. In the mid-20th century, Russian architect George Vitalievich Smirnoff depicted buildings and streetscapes in a realistic way, delicately showing the most precious and tranquil scenes of Macao. Luís Demeé, student of Smirnoff depicted fishermen’s lives on the glittering sea.
In the middle and late 20th century, a group of Macao Chinese painters who use watercolour as their medium of creation emerged, including Kam Cheong Ling, Tam Chi Sang, Lai Ieng, Kwok Se, Kwok Woon, Lio Man Cheong, Poon Siu Yen, Choi Su Weng and Ung Wai Kin, among others. Their works not only depicted the social aspects and people’s livelihood from a realistic perspective, but also tried to capture the most beautiful scenes of Macao.
Through the perspectives and paintings of over 20 Chinese and foreign artists, the exhibition is divided into four themes, namely, “The Coastline”, “Peaceful Time”, “Fishing Sceneries”, and “Modern Glitz”, taking the audience through a time tunnel to revisit the historical landscapes of Macao and to reminisce about the days in the past. In the exhibition, audience can also explore the creative journey of Macao artist in watercolours in the past 100 years, and to feel their strong emotions to the city.
Meanwhile, the current exhibition “Abstract Paintings from the MAM Collection” is available at the MAM, allowing the audience to explore the open-mindedness and artistic characteristics of the Sino-Western cultural integration in Macao, as well as the creative styles of Macao artists. The Macao Museum of Art, located at Avenida Xian Xing Hai, NAPE, is open daily from 10am to 7pm, including public holidays (no admission after 6:30pm), and closes 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 opening hours.
