"Ink Wash • Abstraction" Art Exhibition Open at Sands Gallery

The first joint exhibition in Asia by Feng Zhongyun and Elisa Sighicelli
Curated by recognized curator Zhang Zikang

(Macao, Nov. 23, 2022) – Sands China held an opening ceremony Wednesday for Ink Wash • Abstraction, the latest exhibition at Sands Gallery, at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons. Organised by Sands China Ltd., Lotus Art, and Rossi & Rossi Gallery, the exhibition features more than 30 imaginative works from China's Feng Zhongyun and Italy's Elisa Sighicelli.

The public can enjoy the unique and engaging visual styles of Feng and Sighicelli at Sands Gallery from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily until Jan. 8, 2023.

Ink Wash • Abstraction is part of the company'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.

Integrating Chinese contemporary ink painting and Italian abstract photography, Ink Wash • Abstraction is the first joint exhibition in Asia by Feng and Sighicelli, two artists with very different styles, creating an unexpected East meets West encounter between ink paintings and subtle photographic images that forms a perfect harmony.

Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said: "As Macao embraces different cultures from all over the world, Sands Gallery's ultimate objective has always been to provide a platform where people can exchange artistic ideas and show their appreciation of arts in a bid to enrich the art atmosphere in Macao. To this end, we offer a high-class exhibition space for artists to exchange their ideas and display their work by continuously introducing masterpieces that were created by renowned artists to the general public and art lovers. Sands Gallery aims to play an active role in enhancing public interest in art appreciation, enriching the art atmosphere in Macao, and further motivating local artists through various art exhibitions – in support of the local cultural and creative industry. We are so pleased to bring another unique and stimulating exhibition to the very successful Sands Gallery with Ink Wash • Abstraction. It is an inspiring display of artistic mastery, and we hope the spirits of exploration of these talented professionals – Feng Zhongyun and Elisa Sighicelli – will bring an impressive feast for the eyes to visitors. Our thanks go to all of our collaborators for helping make this exhibition possible and to the Macao SAR government for their continual support and encouragement."

Li Zisong, president of Macau Lotus TV, said: "The future development of Lotus Art will mainly focus on supporting art and culture in Macao. We will promote high-level dialogue between Macao, mainland China and overseas to help develop a unique positioning for Macao to carry out a significant role in the global art and culture sector. Feng Zhongyun is the first commissioned artist of Lotus Art. He has been exploring the innovations and expressions of contemporary art and traditional ink throughout the years, and presents his works in a natural, effortless and graceful spiritual manner, with many of them collected by Asian and overseas art institutions. The dual solo exhibition of Feng Zhongyun and Italian artist Elisa Sighicelli will showcase works and dialogues of Eastern and Western art in their respective ways. I would like to express my gratitude to Sands China, Rossi & Rossi, and Guardian Art Center for their great support to the success of this exhibition."

Fabio Rossi, the founder of Rossi & Rossi, said: "We are committed to promoting and enriching the development of contemporary art and Himalayan art, and we are delighted to partner with Lotus Art to present the dual solo exhibition of Feng Zhongyun and Elisa Sighicelli at Sands Gallery. We hope this exhibition will introduce a greater diversity of art to Macao, and nurture more local art lovers."

Zhang Zikang, the exhibition curator, said: "I'm very honoured to be the curator of the Ink Wash • Abstraction exhibition. Under the nourishment of different cultural traditions, the two artists have formed their own languages of art. The artworks exhibited at Sands Gallery this time allow us to shuttle between different cultural contexts so as to recognise and think about the world we are facing, about Eastern and Western artists' understanding of art, and about how they integrate these two very different realms, which will help promote the common understanding and harmonious development of human society."

Zhang is the director of the CAFA Art Museum, and a professor and doctoral supervisor at the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). He also holds several other positions, including as editor-in-chief of Art Museum magazine and director of the China Artists Association, among other roles.

Born in the same era, Feng and Sighicelli have respectively achieved international recognition for their artworks in the Eastern and Western art worlds, and through this exhibition, they are offering a precious visual feast of cultural collision and artistic fusion.

As an ink artist, Feng is well-known for his unrestrained painting style, remoulding his art with vigorous brush strokes and rich colours. The result is visually stunning, showcasing the coexistence of static and dynamic elements as well as contemporary abstract touches. He has been exploring the innovations and expressions of contemporary art and traditional ink over 30 years, and presents his work in a natural, facile and graceful spiritual manner, with many of them collected by Asian and overseas art institutions.

Born in Beijing in 1967 and a graduate of the Chinese Painting Department at the Central Academy of Fine Arts, Feng now works and lives in Macao. With a solid foundation in Chinese painting techniques and a diverse life experience, his artworks have been exhibited in and collected by art institutions and museums at home and abroad, including the National Art Museum of China in Beijing, the Duolun Museum of Modern Art in Shanghai, the Lotus Art Museum in Macao, and the Fujiyama Museum in Tokyo, among other museums.

Sighicelli meanwhile is adept at capturing the subtle beauty of sculptures, architecture and still-life objects with experimental photography techniques on unexpected and novel media such as marble, plaster and satin. Her experimental approach in the medium and materiality of photography creates a dialogue between the images and the media they are expressed with, guided by her masterful and exquisite use of light – creating a new space that emerges from a two-dimensional plane into a three-dimensional reality.

Sighicelli was born in 1968 in Turin, Italy and received her B.A. (Honors) from London's Kingston University and her M.F.A. from the Slade School of Fine Art at London's University College. She has held solo shows in countries such as Spain, France, Czech Republic, and Italy. Her artwork has also been on display in numerous group exhibitions around the world, including in Israel, Italy, France, Australia's Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Vietnam Museum of Fine Arts.

Guests attending the exhibition's opening ceremony included Yin Rutao, deputy director-general of the Department of Publicity and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR; Zhong Yi Seabra de Mascarenhas, vice president of the board of directors of the Macao Foundation; Susanna Un Sio San, director of the Macao Museum of Art of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR; Dr. Wilfred Wong; Li Zisong; Feng Zhongyun; Yan Shaobin, art director of Lotus Art; and Zhan Chen, executive director of Lotus Art; among others.

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: Sands China's latest exhibition at Sands Gallery, Ink Wash • Abstraction, is open to the public 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily until Jan. 8, 2023, at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons.

Photo caption: Sands China Ltd. President Dr. Wilfred Wong speaks Wednesday at the opening ceremony of Sands China's latest exhibition at Sands Gallery, Ink Wash • Abstraction, open to the public 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily until Jan. 8, 2023, at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons.

Photo caption: Li Zisong, president of Macau Lotus TV, speaks Wednesday at the opening ceremony of Sands China's latest exhibition at Sands Gallery, Ink Wash • Abstraction, open to the public 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily until Jan. 8, 2023, at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons.

Photo caption: Guests of honour cut the ribbon Wednesday at the opening ceremony of Ink Wash • Abstraction at Sands Gallery. The exhibition is open to the public 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily until Jan. 8, 2023, at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons.

Photo caption: Guests receive a guided tour on Wednesday of Sands China's latest exhibition at Sands Gallery, Ink Wash • Abstraction, which is open to the public 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily until Jan. 8, 2023, at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons.