News Feature by Camy Tam
An ink painting exhibition entitled “Abode of Immortals” by mainland artist Tai Xiangzhou (泰祥洲), co-organised by Sands China Ltd. and Four Seasons Hotel Macao, is being held at The Grand Suites at Four Seasons’ Grand Atelier.
The exhibition’s opening ceremony was held on Monday afternoon at The Grand Suites.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Sands China President Wilfred Wong Ying-wai said that “Sands China Ltd. is committed to developing non-gaming attractions in Macau for residents and visitors, and culture and the arts is a mainstay of this initiative. We are honoured to invite leading artist Tai Xiangzhou to exhibit his outstanding ink paintings. His pursuit of excellence and refinement complement The Grand Suites at Four Seasons’ meticulous, low-key yet luxurious approach, which delivers guests an elegant, inspiring experience.”
Wong, who holds a doctor of humanities honoris causa degree from Hong Kong Baptist University, said: “We welcome everyone to visit this unique art exhibition.”
Tai said in his speech that “this exhibition showcases over 38 of my artworks, encompassing phases and genres from landscapes of the Song Dynasty to the abstract Celestial Chaos series. While they represent my creative ideas around traditional and cosmological art, I hope visitors can have their own interpretations through my ink strokes, swirling clouds and rugged rocks.”
According to the exhibition book, Tai was born in 1968 in Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. He lives and works in Beijing.
According to a statement by Sands China and Four Seasons, Tai studied Chinese literature and calligraphy with renowned practitioners Hu Gongshi (胡公石) and Wang Wenjun (王文鈞) from a young age.
“His doctoral dissertation from Tsinghua University, focusing on cosmology and traditional landscape art, was critically acclaimed. He uses traditional Chinese materials – brushes, ink, paper and silk – to combine science, philosophy and art, exploring the link between the universe and spirituality to define contemporary cosmology. Focusing on Song Dynasty landscape painting and calligraphy, Tai is rooted in Chinese painting tradition and boldly reinterprets the genre, meticulously capturing elements of nature including rocks, trees, clouds, mist and water,” the statement noted.
Tai has held over 30 individual exhibitions around the world, and his art pieces have been acquired by about two dozen museums, art galleries and academic institutions at home and abroad, including the Brooklyn Museum, Art Institute of Chicago and Yale University Art Gallery.
The exhibition displays more than three dozen of Tai’s artworks, including one of his masterpieces – “Min Fanglei” (皿方罍). Other series of artworks include “Celestial Chaos” (天象) and “The Edge of Planet No. 3” (星球邊際之三).
The exhibition runs until March 14 daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Grand Atelier, Level 6, The Grand Suites at Four Seasons Hotel in Cotai. Admission is free.
As part of the government’s COVID-19 epidemic prevention measures, all visitors entering the hotel must wear a facemask, have their temperature checked and present a digital health code.
Tai Xiangzhou and Wilfred Wong Ying-wai (left) pose in front of Tai’s calligraphy, the Chinese title of the exhibition , at the Four Seasons Hotel Macao on Monday. Photo: Sands China
One of Tai Xiangzhou’s artworks, called Min Fanglei (皿方罍) in Chinese, displayed at the exhibition. Photo: Camy Tam
