Art | New exhibition celebrates eight years of Pakeong

Local artist and musician Fortes Pakeong Sequeira is showcasing eight years of his artwork at the UNESCO Center of Macau.

Drawing on his background as a graphic designer, Sequeira’s artworks are not only paintings on a wall. Several works are three-dimensional installations and sculptures, most of which have been featured at previous exhibitions.

For Sequeira, the exhibition is a reminder of the last decade, when he made the transition from graphic designer to full-time artist.

“This exhibition shows different phases [of my career]. From 2005 until now, I have been changing and reforming my work,” he said in a press interview.

His works on display span an eight-year period, with the earliest piece dating back to 2009. One feature binds the pieces together: dark, twisted shapes and undertones best described as a union of graphic art and surreal fractal art.

“The concept and some of the elements [in my artwork] have not changed that much [throughout the eight years],” said Sequeira. “And will never change.”

“I want to use this form to present [my ideas]. This is what I want to tell people: that art is very friendly and you don’t need to be afraid of it… you can touch it.”

More than 60 artworks from the eight-year period were initially collected for the exhibition. Though the curator wisely decided to reduce the number of works on display, the exhibition still occupies two large rooms and a connecting hallway at the UNESCO Center of Macau.

“I am the one who wants to show everything, but this is her [the curator’s] arrangement,” Sequeira explained.

When asked about the message behind his work, Sequeira states that art requires no explanation.

“Many people ask me what my work is saying. I don’t have a good answer for them and they [often] don’t feel satisfied,” he said. He adds that his job is to expose the feelings in his heart and convey them to other people. “I think people can feel [through my art] and get a different [perspective] looking inside my heart.”

He says that his heart is the driver of his artistic expression, but in his mind, there is little distinction between his visual art and the music of the metal band he fronts, Blademark.

“My music and my art are the same. Both of them show my heart… the voice of my heart,” he told media yesterday.

There is one difference. Sequeira says that when he writes lyrics for Blademark, he has a specific concept in mind and he wants his listeners “to know exactly what I want to [say].”

“On the other hand, in my artwork, I want people to think [for themselves]. When I see some art piece, I don’t want to hear about what it is [saying]; I want to explore it myself and enjoy it.”

The exhibition will run until August 13. Admission is free.