Macau opens first int’l exhibition by women artists

The exhibition “Women Artists – 1st International Biennial of Macau” opened last week, featuring 142 works by 132 women artists from 22 countries and regions,

The art on display includes paintings, silkscreen prints, illustrations, sculptures, installations and videos, among others.

Jointly organized by the Macao Museum of Art (MAM) and Albergue SCM, the biennale was inaugurated on March 8, which is also International Women’s Day.

The exhibition aims to showcase and stimulate reflection on the creative journeys and achievements of female artists from the 1970s to the present day.

It presents the triumphs of female artists from diverse ethnic and educational backgrounds and their pursuit of multiple aesthetics, particularly those that have shaped the world of 21st century art.

Last year, MAM and Albergue SCM held two smaller exhibitions dedicated to women’s art. 

The biennial features 36 works from the MAM’s collection arranged by decade, as well as five large-scale installations that aim to impart a different understanding of space, time and women.

Albergue SCM also contributed, from its own collection, the works of 101 female artists who are active in international art circles.

The works are by women who played significant social and cultural roles. They aim to present the various forms of being a woman and different ways of understanding femininity, as well as artistic practices that transcend gender differences.

During the opening, the acting president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Leong Wai Man, said that female artists have been increasingly drawing attention over time, revealing their artistic charm through expressions of their unique perspective.

The exhibition features artists from mainland China, Macau, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, East Timor; Russia, India, Iran, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe; Cape Verde, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Georgia,

Brazil, the United States and Australia.

The biennial is open until May 13 at the MAM (see related interview).