Sands China Exhibition Features 3 Local Artists for Art Macao 2023
'Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art – Trio Exhibition by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit'
(Macao, Aug 8, 2023) – Sands China Ltd. held an opening ceremony Tuesday at The Grand Suites at Four Seasons for Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art – Trio Exhibition by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit, a collateral exhibition staged in support of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023.
Curated by Kitman Leong, the exhibition was organised by Sands China Ltd. and co-organised by the Macau Artist Society, with art coordination by the Macau Youth Art Association. Behind the Forms showcases artwork from three young local artists, providing a platform for promoting extensive exchange and cooperation among local and international art talent. Through their different creative techniques, artists Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit demonstrate their own understandings of various topics around Macao's economic development – spectrum, data texture, belief and value.
Behind the Forms is available for viewing 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Aug. 9-Oct. 15 at Sands Gallery, on the 6th floor of The Grand Suites at Four Seasons.
Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., said: "We are pleased to facilitate artistic exchange between local and international artists through our support to Art Macao, where Macao's young artists can learn from the experience of established art maestros, thereby setting foot onto the international stage. Through the exhibition Behind the Forms, Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit show their memories of their homeland, their feelings for their country, and their passion for art through their unique artistic techniques, and demonstrate the profound cultural heritage of Macao. These three up-and-coming artists have created their own exclusive visual forms, and together they shape the image of this city that has a 400-year history of East-meets-West cultural integration, presenting a gorgeous feast for the eyes. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, the Macao SAR government, the Macau Artist Society and the Macau Youth Art Association for their full support and for making this exhibition a success."
Lok Hei, president of the Macau Artist Society, said: "As always, the Macau Artist Society has brought together local artists, especially young ones, with the aim of fostering their development, thereby inspiring more people in town to engage in spiritual pursuits that will enrich their lives. The exhibition 'Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art' intends to draw attention to the importance of the ideas behind artworks, while promoting the growth of local emerging artists and the curatorial team of the Macau Youth Art Association."
With a theme of 'Forms,' the exhibition aims to promote the appreciation of the aesthetics of contemporary art to the public. To this end, Lei Ieng Wai has used 'Light' as a theme to demonstrate virtual spectrums on canvases filled with gorgeous colours and frequencies; Lai Sio Kit has presented his works meticulously by telling stories of a city through distressed tiles with the theme of 'Time;' and Leong Chi Mou has visualised how people endow real value onto circulating currency through his 'Alchemist Project' series.
Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art – Trio Exhibition by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit is the latest exhibition at Sands Gallery, a permanent art space on the 6th floor of The Grand Suites at Four Seasons. Since launching the gallery in 2022, Sands China has organised seven art exhibitions that feature Chinese and international artists, in a bid to introduce a greater diversity of art exhibitions to Macao and to enrich the art experiences of local residents and tourists.
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 and 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 Macao's art industry, Ung will share his ideas on contemporary art with up-and-coming local art talent in September.
Visit https://en.sandsresortsmacao.com/artmacao-2023.html to learn more about all three exhibitions. For more information about Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023, a three-month long international cultural and artistic extravaganza organised by the Macao government, visit https://www.artmacao.mo/2023/en/.
About the artists and curator
Lei Ieng Wai graduated from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts with a master's and bachelor's degree in oil painting, and his works have been exhibited in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, the United States, France and Portugal. His many solo exhibitions include "Steal Into," "Emptiness," "Dimensional Sequence," and "Time Spectrum." He is currently serving as vice president of the Macau Youth Art Association.
Leong Chi Mou is a full-time artist and the founder of CHI-MOU ESTUDIO. He graduated from the Macao Polytechnic Institute (now Macao Polytechnic University) with a bachelor's degree in oil painting. Leong learned Chinese painting techniques in his childhood without guidance or rules; he later explored different art media and techniques from both the West and the East. He is a member of the Macau Artist Society and the Macau Youth Art Association.
Lai Sio Kit holds master's and bachelor's degrees in oil painting from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, and his works have been exhibited in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, Portugal, and the United States. He has held over 17 solo exhibitions, including "Splashing Brilliance," "Eternity in an Hour," and "The Secret Garden." His is a member of the Chinese Artists Association, vice-director of the Macau Artist Society, director of the Macau Art Master Association, and director general of the Macau Youth Art Association.
Lai said: "As a Macao local artist, it is an honour for me to participate in the 'Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art' exhibition – curated by Kitman Leong and coordinated by Julia Lam – alongside fellow local artists Lei Ieng Wai and Leong Chi Mou. I would like to thank Sands China and the Macau Artist Society for giving us absolute creative freedom in producing our works. To my knowledge, the last two editions of Art Macao mainly featured artworks by overseas artists. Therefore, we are thrilled that Sands China has doubled down on its support for local artists in this year's edition of Art Macao by inviting us to showcase our artworks at Sands Gallery. It is an encouraging move, and we hope that more and more local art exhibitions will be held there in the future. Once again, our thanks go to Sands China for its continued support of local art!"
Exhibition curator Kitman Leong is an assistant professor of Fine Arts in the Faculty of Humanities and Arts at the Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.), where she is a supervisor of master's and doctoral degree students and teaches Chinese painting, curates exhibitions, writes art reviews, organises art projects, and delivers art courses. Her honours include exhibiting at the 13th National Exhibition of Fine Arts in Beijing, a Best Work award at the Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists, and a Distinction award at the Macao Annual Visual Arts Exhibition. She is a member of the Chinese Artists Association, director of the Macau Artist Society, director of the Yu Un Chinese Calligraphers and Painters Association of Macao, and vice president of the Macau Youth Art Association.
Photo caption: Guests receive a guided tour Tuesday of Sands China's art exhibition, 'Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art – Trio Exhibition by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit,' by the exhibition's artists. The free-admission exhibition is open for public viewing 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Aug. 9-Oct. 15 at Sands Gallery, on the 6th floor of The Grand Suites at Four Seasons.
Photo caption: Guests of honour cut the ribbon Tuesday at the opening ceremony of "Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art – Trio Exhibition by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit," a collateral exhibition staged in support of Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2023. The free-admission exhibition is open for public viewing 11 a.m.-7 p.m. daily, Aug. 9-Oct. 15 at Sands Gallery, on the 6th floor of The Grand Suites at Four Seasons.
Left to right: Lei Ieng Wai, local artist; Lai Sio Kit, local artist; Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd.; Cheng Wai Tong, acting director of the Macao Government Tourism Office; 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; Cheang Kai Meng, deputy director of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR; Lok Hei, president of Macau Artist Society; Kitman Leong, exhibition curator; Leong Chi Mou, local artist
Photo caption: Dr. Wilfred Wong, president of Sands China Ltd., delivers his remarks Tuesday at the opening ceremony of 'Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art – Trio Exhibition by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit' at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons.
Photo caption: Lok Hei, president of Macau Artist Society, addresses guests at the opening ceremony of 'Behind the Forms: Aesthetics of Contemporary Art – Trio Exhibition by Lei Ieng Wai, Leong Chi Mou and Lai Sio Kit' Tuesday at the Grand Suites at Four Seasons.