‘East meets West’: debut exhibition at Sands Gallery

Sands China officially launched the Sands Gallery yesterday, with a debut exhibition showcasing artworks featuring “East meets West” elements.

Titled “Innovation of Ink: Transformation and Reinvention of Oriental Aesthetics – Featured Exhibition of Wang Dongling & Xu Lei,” the exhibition features over 30 imaginative works by Chinese artists Wang Dongling and Xu Lei.

Each artist has developed a mastery of traditional Chinese ink techniques – calligraphy in Wang’s case and painting for Xu – and then applied them in ways that are original, inventive and contemporary.

Speaking at the opening ceremony yesterday, Wilfred Wong, Sands China’s president, said, “In opening Sands Gallery, Sands China’s ultimate objective has always been to help Macau establish itself as a multicultural exchange and cooperation base with an emphasis on Chinese culture.”

Sands Gallery is a permanent art space on the 6th floor of The Grand Suites at Four Seasons, created by Sands China with the aim of helping to “cultivate an environment that nurtures creativity and art appreciation in Macau.”

Xu, who attended the opening, explained that the exhibition presents his signature works that were created in the early stage of his career, before he changed his drawing style in 2010.

“The imagery of these works demonstrates the correlation between Western and Chinese culture, and how they affect and penetrate each other. It’s my pleasure to be partnered with master Wang to showcase both of our works in a city that combines Chinese and Western cultures with a rich art atmosphere,” he remarked.

Running until March 20, the exhibition has been curated by art historian Julia F. Andrews, a professor at Ohio State University.

Sands China has pledged to invest more resources into inviting local and international artists of different art forms to host exhibitions at the gallery, in a bid to enrich the cultural experience of Macau residents and visitors.  LV