Daffodil 237 x 42.5 cm Artist: Zhao Mingshan Donor: Zhao Guoxiang
The Macao Museum of Art (MAM) of the Cultural Affairs Bureau organizes the “Exhibition of New Works in MAM Collection”, which opens on Friday afternoon (20 April), at the Special Exhibition Room No. 4, on the 3rd floor of the MAM. This exhibition features eight vertical scrolls depicting flowers, plants and fruits by painter Zhao Mingshan, a third generation heir of the Lingnan Painting School in Macao, namely “Rustic Charm”, “Elegant Charm”, “ Hydrangea”, “Flower”, “China Rose”, “Lychee”, “Daffodil” and “Autumn Mood”, among others. The exhibition runs until 26 October.
Zhao Mingshan, one of the most representative painters of the Lingnan School in Macao and a disciple of renowned Situ Qi, is best known for his paintings of flowers and plants, especially roses. In Macao, the young Zhao Mingshan met famed painter Zhang Daqian, who recognised Zhao’s solid foundations and therefore had high expectations for his creative work. Zhao Mingshan left few works, making his paintings rare in public and private collections. In 2015, Mr. Zhao Guoxiang and his wife, relatives of Zhao Mingshan who resided abroad, expressed their willingness to donate eight works by the painter to the MAM. After a close analysis, the MAM concluded that these works reveal the Lingnan School’s distinct style and have a clear artistic worth and has, therefore, included them into its permanent collection, thereby enriching the MAM’s selections of Chinese paintings.
Collections are an important part of all museums. The original MAM collection came from the former Luís de Camões Museum, which mainly comprised collections of Shiwan ceramics, Lingnan (Guangdong) calligraphy and paintings, historical paintings and modern and contemporary artworks from Macao. Following its opening and along its almost 20 years’ development, the MAM has enriched its collection through commissions, acquisitions and donations, mostly valuing the acquisition, collection, showcase and publication of works by modern and contemporary artists from Macao. The Museum promptly arranged for the display of these new additions to its collection, in order to acknowledge the respective donors, to share with the public the beauty of art and to allow the population to admire the art of its ancestors as well as to be updated on MAM’s development.
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.