Group photo of the officiating guests in the opening ceremony
Organised by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM) under the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) and co-organised by the Macau Artist Society, the exhibition “Centennial Retrospective of Lok Cheong’s Art” was inaugurated today (24 November) on the third floor of the Macao Museum of Art. The opening ceremony was held in a lively atmosphere and was officiated by the Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, Edmund Ho Hau Wah; the Director of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Wan Sucheng; the President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man; the President of the Macau Art Master Association, Lai Ieng; the President of the Yu Un Chinese Calligraphers and Painters Association of Macao, Chui Sai Peng José; the Art Consultant of the Macau Artist Society, Cheong Iu Sang; the Executive Vice President of the Macau Artist Society, Sio In Leong. Representatives of the Lok Cheong’s family, Lok Po and Lok Hei also participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Lok Cheong (1923-2006), one of the founding members of the Macau Artist Society, served as the President of the Macau Artist Society for a long time. He supported emerging artists, united art enthusiasts, promoted cultural exchanges between the Chinese mainland and Macao, spared no effort in the development of art, and made great contributions to local painting circles. Inspired by his life experiences, Lok Cheong created his works which reflected the reality of life. Amongst his works, the oil paintings such as “Living by Rag Picking” and “Rice Aid from the Motherland” offer touching glimpses into the simple lives of the general public.
The Macao Museum of Art under the Cultural Affairs Bureau received a generous donation of over 200 works by Lok Cheong and 100 works by his friends from the Lok Cheong’s family. On the occasion of the centennial anniversary of the birth of Lok Cheong this year, the MAM specially organises this retrospective exhibition, featuring a total of 150 artworks which include 100 paintings by Lok Cheong, as well as some of his sketches and his friends’ remarkable works which are exhibited for the first time. The artworks include oil paintings, watercolours, Chinese paintings, drawings, manuscripts and documents. The exhibition is divided into five sections, namely “Love for the Motherland”, “Capturing the Character of Macao”, “Portraits”, “Sketching from the Heart”, and “Works by Fellow Artists”, showing the artist’s testimony to the major transformation of the Motherland and Macao in his life, as well as the spirit of the times manifested through his lyrical brushstrokes.
In order to enrich the public’s visiting experience of the exhibition, the Macao Chinese Orchestra will present the concert “Music in MAM” at 2pm on 25 November, in the Exhibition Hall on the third floor of the MAM. Meanwhile, the Sharing Session of the exhibition “Centennial Retrospective of Lok Cheong’s Art” will be held at 3pm on the same day. A limited number of seats are still available for art aficionados. Seats for the abovementioned activities are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
The exhibition “Centennial Retrospective of Lok Cheong’s Art” is held until 7 April 2024. The Macao Museum of Art is open daily from 10am to 7pm (no admission after 6:30pm), including on public holidays, and is closed on Mondays. Admission is free. Guided tours are also available in the afternoons on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
For more information about the exhibition and activities, please visit the MAM’s website at www.MAM.gov.moand “Macao Museum of Art” page on Facebook.
