At the Youth Artist Exhibition Room of 10 Fantasia gallery, ethereal and realistic depictions of Macau are simultaneously being showcased by local artist and designer Josephine Ng (吳珊芳) in her latest exhibition “Void and Substance”, where about 30 works are on display.
Organised by the Macau Youth Art Association in conjunction with the Macau Artist Society and the gallery, the exhibition comprises paintings that were created between 2024 and 2026 using two mediums: watercolours and oils, with each highlighting a specific purpose.
Watercolours, which make up a majority of the display, is what the artist uses to depict “void”. As noted in the artist’s exhibition statement, she uses the medium’s lightness and softness to create ethereal scenes rather than realistic scenes or using fine contours.
The statement pointed out that the medium is especially adept at presenting “void”, adding that “between gentle washes and soft blurs, the brush feels light and hazy”. Under her careful hand, Ng painted a variety of places around Macau from its tourist attractions to city streets and corners to even people and cats.
The idea of substance is meanwhile emphasised through oils for its solid textures and “layers of accumulated depth”, the statement said, noting that this medium’s colours, texture and tangibility are used to emphasise the reality and contours found in daily life. “Architectural surfaces, the gradations of light and shadow, and the true forms of objects are rendered with careful precision”, the statement underlined.
Among her oils showcased are several portraits, flora and a landscape of Macau at night.
Ng is described by the statement as an artist who sees beauty in daily life and a designer who “loves the beauty of simplicity”. Most of her works are mainly created using watercolour, quick sketches, oil painting, and ink wash, the statement added. She currently works as an art director at an education centre.
One can visit the free admission exhibition until August 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. from Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays. The gallery is located on Calçada da Igreja de S. Lázaro (瘋堂斜巷).
– Photos taken yesterday by Rui Pastorin
