The Macao Museum of Art (MAM) has always attached great importance to the gathering, collection, collating, research, display, and publication of Macau artists’ works, to engage the public with the development of art in Macau. Donations from artists and collectors are an essential source of a museum collection. For this reason, MAM organizes regular exhibitions of the donated works to show both the latest collection and the appreciation to the donors.
Tam Chi Sang (1920–2007), an artist and art educator of great stature, was known as the pioneer of Western painting in Macau. MAM has collected many of his works, and thanks to the donations of his students in these years, such as Chou Cheong Hong, Chio Wai Fu, and Kwok Wai Kit, that gradually enrich our collection. This exhibition will showcase a selection of 13 portrait works from the donated collection, including sketches, oil paintings, Chinese paintings, and sculptures to show his enriched artistic outlook, his exploration of portrait artworks, and also to pay tribute to the donors.
Born in Yunfu, Guangdong Province, Tam studied Chinese painting with renowned local painter Li Xiaoshan in Zhaoqing in his early years and graduated from Zhaoqing Advanced Normal School. Then moved to Macao in 1949 and became a pillar in the local art circles since the 1950s. Tam was active in creation and was good at a watercolor painting, oil painting, Chinese painting, and sculpture.
This section exhibits Tam Chi Sang’s self-portraits and self-portrait bust created from the 1970s to the 1990s, reflecting his exploration and pursuit of artistic style and color applications through the self-portrait practices. His works also stand for the expression of his feelings. Tam Chi Sang was strongly attached to sketching and sketched self-portraits persistently, reflecting his detailed insight and sophisticated painting skills. The exhibited works highlight a strong artistic appeal by interpreting the inner language hidden in the painter’s image. Drawing on the experiences of the Dutch self-portraitist Rembrandt in using light, shadow, color, and brush-strokes, Tam constantly pursued subtle changes in artistic language in his self-portrait drawings. Undoubtedly, it was an important attempt for the development of Western painting in Macao at that time.
When: November 26, 2021–May 29, 2022
Where: Macao Museum of Art, Avenida Xian Xing Hai, NAPE, Macau
How much: Free admission
For more information, check here
