Sands China Ltd. recently opened a collateral exhibition to provide a platform for local artists to showcase their talents at Sands Gallery, in support of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023.
“Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art – Trio Exhibition by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit” features outstanding artworks from these three talented artists.
Through their different creative techniques, they demonstrate their own understandings of various topics around Macau’s economic development – spectrum, data texture, belief and value.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said, “The curator, art coordinator, artists and designer of this exhibition were all born and bred in Macao. This is a celebration of “Made in Macao” contemporary art shining on the international stage of Art Macao. Three cutting-edge artists have displayed their memories of Macao, feelings for the country, and passion for art, and have demonstrated the profound cultural heritage of Macao.”
Lok Hei, president of the Macau Artist Society, said, “We are pleased that the three local artists’ exhibition is being showcased at Sands Gallery for Art Macao. As always, the Macau Artist Society has brought together local artists, especially young ones, with the aim of fostering their development. They are going to inspire more people in town to engage in spiritual pursuits that will enrich their lives.”
With a theme of ‘Forms,’ the exhibition aims to promote the appreciation of the aesthetics of contemporary art to the public.
Exhibition curator Kitman Leong remarked that the theme is an entry point for understanding the three different artists from a stylistic point of view. “We want to let the audience know more about contemporary art through this exhibition. They use different visual art approaches to create exclusive visual forms. Other than appreciating the art, we would also like to let the audience explore the concept, value, or logic behind the forms,” said Leong.
For the curator, this exhibition aims to emphasize the nature of art, in this era when AI can drive art.
Meanwhile, commenting on their works, artist Lai said, “We are thrilled with Sands China’s support for local artists in this year’s edition of Art Macao by inviting us to showcase our artworks at Sands Gallery. It is truly an encouraging move.”
Lai has been paying attention to the city and the small town where he grew up during his creative process. He says that as time is a conceptual word without substance, he seeks to describe time in a visual way through painting. The strokes of his paintings capture a state, and that state is an exact period of time that carries a sense of place.
“I actually painted some traditional-style tiles that were old, peeling or faded – a condition that has been experienced for a long time. I want to express the concept of time through this state,” he said. Lai has also hailed Sands China for providing local artists a platform for their exhibitions with “a lot of freedom.” “We were 100% able to present our works in our own way and to use our own concepts of artwork in this exhibition. This is a great opportunity,” said the artist.
Dr. Wong said, “We established Sands Gallery to promote exchange, mutual learning and enhancement of culture and art. I am very pleased to take the opportunity presented by Art Macao, which promotes the diversity of Macao’s arts to the world, to help outstanding young local artists attract the attention of international media and the art world, aiding them to step onto the international stage with this collateral exhibition.”
Lei Ieng Wai (left), Leong Chi Mou (center) and Lai Sio Kit
Lei Ieng Wai (left), Leong Chi Mou (center) and Lai Sio Kit
For artist Leong, he believes this exhibition is a valuable opportunity to promote their artworks, stating that Sands China remains a strong springboard for young artists to promote their own works and the art of Macau. Leong’s works are mainly inspired by his observations of people’s consumption habits, which drove him to contemplate the relationship between art, consumption and values.
Lei’s artworks, on the other hand, present a sense of virtual reality prevailing in contemporary society. The local artist tried to construct the rhythmic dynamics of this virtual dimension with an artificial spectrum and use repeated patterns to create a mood of monotony and meaninglessness.
Echoing similar sentiments with Lai and Leong, Lei expressed his gratitude to Sands China for “providing us with such a good exhibition venue. In this way, the public can get in touch with the artistic creations of Macau artists.”
In addition to Behind the Forms, Sands China is supporting Art Macao 2023 with a special exhibition titled “Meet the Magic: In celebration of Disney 100 by Philip Colbert and Jason Naylor” at The Venetian Macao, The Parisian Macao and The Londoner Macao, and also with “The Genesis of Rationality,” a commissioned work by Ung Vai Meng on display at Art Macao’s Invitational Exhibition by Local Artists. Regarded as the pioneer of Macau’s art industry, Ung will share his ideas on contemporary art with up-and-coming local art talent at a Sands China event in September.
