'Illumination – Zhaoying Zhang & Sisi Wong Dual Solo Exhibition' Opens at Sands Gallery
Featuring the winners of "Time is on My Side – 2021 Greater Bay Area Young Artists Scheme"
(Macao,
Feb. 22, 2023) – Sands China unveiled
Illumination – Zhaoying Zhang & Sisi Wong Dual Solo
Exhibition as Sands Gallery's first exhibition
of 2023 Wednesday at The Grand Suites at Four
Seasons.
Zhaoying Zhang
and Sisi Wong were the first-prize winners in the
painting and photography categories, respectively, in
the Time is on My Side – 2021 Greater Bay Area Young
Artists Scheme launched by Sands China. Launched
in support of the Art Macao: Macao International Art
Biennale 2021 series of events organised by the
Macao government, the scheme created a platform for
young artists to showcase the uniqueness of their works,
inviting them to explore their creativity and
imagination through the
contest.
Illumination
– Zhaoying Zhang & Sisi Wong Dual Solo
Exhibition is part of Sands China's ongoing
commitment to the diversification of art and culture in
Macao, providing a platform for promoting extensive
exchange and cooperation among local and international
art talent. With reference to "intensity of
illumination," a term that describes a given amount of
light, the exhibition showcases nearly 60 magnificent
works of diverse art forms and media including oil
painting, sculpture, installations, photography and
projection. It probes into the cultural connotations of
light through the exhibits, and explores, from the
perspective of technique, how the artists interpret the
diverse aspects of the artworks using light.
Dr. Wilfred
Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said: "Macao is a
melting pot of Chinese and Western cultures, and the
Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong
Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has endowed the city with a
new mission of the times to establish itself as 'a
multicultural exchange and cooperation base with an
emphasis on Chinese culture.' The diverse culture of
Macao is best exemplified in the array of artworks
created by these two artists. We are delighted to once
again offer the Sands Gallery as an exchange platform
for artists and young art aficionados from Macao and
around the globe. Through presenting this exhibition, we
hope to foster art appreciation among visitors, inspire
local artists, bolster the vibrant growth of Macao's
cultural and creative industries, and help boost
artistic exchange between artists in the Greater Bay
Area ─ in support of Macao's integration into the
national development plan. Our thanks go to Professor Hu
and the two artists for helping make this exhibition
possible. I would also like to express my gratitude to
the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in
the Macao SAR, the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao
SAR Government, and the Macao Government Tourism Office
for their continual support and encouragement to help
promote the development of the local cultural and
creative
industries."
Professor Hu
Bin, the exhibition curator, said: "In Macao, a frontier
where Eastern and Western cultures meet and collide, we
are hosting an exhibition of works from two contemporary
artists closely related to this idea, in hopes of
exploring how the cultural and technical 'illuminations'
clash with their multi-dimensional art forms. The
juxtaposition of the two artists' works not only
presents their contrasting responses on the theme and
shows the similarities and differences between various
media such as painting and video, but also demonstrates
the spirit of intention of each artist. It is my hope
that such a dual solo exhibition featuring artworks
created by young artists can continuously provide
impetus to the emerging art atmosphere and cultural
interaction in
Macao."
Hu is the dean
of the School of Arts and Humanities of the Guangzhou
Academy of Fine Arts. His research interests include the
history of Chinese revolutionary art and the history of
modern and contemporary Chinese art exhibitions, and he
has long been engaged in critique and curatorial
practice in contemporary
art.
Exhibition
artist Zhaoying Zhang has utilised materials across
cultures and times to depict dazzling theatrical and
carnival scenes, employing uncanny visual effects along
with sharp contrast between brightness and darkness.
Sisi Wong, on the other hand, has taken different
narrative forms and approaches such as giclée prints,
projection lamps, and videos to create special effects
that reveal the vastness of the spiritual world and the
universe – which are both poetic and intriguing.
Zhang received
an art education in mainland China and furthered his
studies in Europe, and is now pursuing a doctorate
degree at the Faculty of Humanities and Arts of Macau
University of Science and Technology. He creates works
with a broad international vision exhibited through
themes that transcend time and continental boundaries,
demonstrating a hybrid mentality across different media,
languages, and
times.
He said: "I'm
honoured to have been one of the winners in the Time is
on My Side competition, which was a great opportunity
for me to grow as an artist. The 'Illumination'
exhibition showcases both my early work, the 'Myth
Party' series, and my recent work, the 'Epistle' series,
among others, which together demonstrate my changing
understanding of illumination at different stages of my
life."
Wong, locally
born and raised, unleashes boundless imagination about
the world across her photography and videos. The theme
of light has been prominent in her works, where she
explores the possibilities of light in various forms of
media.
She said: "I
look forward to presenting my artworks in this
exhibition, which express my feeling of nostalgia for
Macao's culture as a local artist. With Macao's
East-meets-West culture, I tried to capture light
through different forms of media to reflect the cultural
spectrum of Macao. I explored the essence of light and
its possible meanings, while deducing various postures
of light through the video arts. I'm grateful to the
Time is on My Side competition for helping me earn
recognition from both local and overseas professionals,
and I hope this exhibition creates a dialogue for the
development and outlook of contemporary art in
Macao."
Guests
attending the exhibition's opening ceremony included
Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, director of the Macao
Government Tourism Office; Bai Bing, head of the
Division of Culture and Sport of the Department of
Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the
Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Cheang Kai
Meng, acting vice president of the Cultural Affairs
Bureau; Dr. Wong; Professor Hu, and artists Zhang and
Wong.
Illumination
– Zhaoying Zhang & Sisi Wong Dual Solo
Exhibition at Sands Gallery is open to the
public 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily until March
26.
Sands Gallery
is a permanent art space on the 6th floor of The Grand
Suites at Four Seasons, and provides an opportunity for
guests to explore an ever-changing variety of art
exhibitions. The gallery was born out of Sands China's
desire to help cultivate an environment that nurtures
creativity and art appreciation in Macao. It also aims
to support the development of art and culture and to
bring a greater diversity of experiences to the city,
while promoting and encouraging professional artists in
Macao and across the
region.
Sands China
plans to invest more resources into inviting renowned
local and international artists of different art forms
to host exhibitions at the gallery in order to enrich
the cultural experience of Macao residents and
visitors.
Photo caption: Guests of honour cut the ribbon
Wednesday at the opening ceremony of Illumination –
Zhaoying Zhang & Sisi Wong Dual Solo Exhibition at
the Grand Suites at Four Seasons. The exhibition is open to
the public 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily until March
26.