Portuguese sculptor João Cutileiro has died aged 83 in a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal, due to health complications related to a chronic lung condition (pulmonary emphysema).
The artist had visited Macau on several occasions over his long career of works, of which the artwork on display at the garden of the Macao Cultural Centre, titled “Stone ship and warriors ready to war,” is the most highlighted.
The art installation was commissioned to Cutileiro by the then Portuguese administration of Macau. It took about three years to complete and was inaugurated by the former Portuguese president Jorge Sampaio just a few months before the handover in 1999.
The artwork had the purpose of celebrating the handover. It was built with Portuguese marble stone from Estremoz and was inspired by the terracotta warriors of Xian and the boat on Beijing’s summer palace lake.
Besides this work, Cutileiro also had a sculpture piece on public display in the lobby of the Conde de São Januário Hospital, nowadays stored away from public eyes.
According to local Architect Carlos Marreiros, there are many more art pieces crafted by the artist in the possession of both individuals and governmental institutions in Macau. RM
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