Camy Tam
An event entitled “Illusions and Reflections – Through the Eyes of the Masters Exhibition” (鏡像大千—大師經典) is being held at Wynn Palace in Cotai and Wynn Macau in Nape.
The exhibition is hosted by the Hong Kong-listed US gaming company to support the local government’s Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021 event.
According to a statement by Wynn, the event displays a wide range of world-renowned master pieces of modern Chinese art, with a total of around 400 artistic treasures. This includes a number of precious Chinese artworks that had been lost overseas for nearly 40 years and have now been returned to their country of origin, which are being presented in Macau for the first time, as well as two large-scale ceramic installations specially made for Macau.
The exhibition at Wynn Palace features The Abode of Illusions: The Garden of Zhang Daqian (摩耶精舍：張大千的園林) and Life Reflection: Contemporary Ceramics of Zhu Legeng (生命鏡像：朱樂耕的當代陶藝). The former is a photographic work of the last garden designed by Chinese master painter Zhang himself. It was taken by renowned photographer Hu Chongxian (胡崇賢), with Zhang’s inscription and interpretation showing the aesthetic mood of the Chinese literati, the statement points out. The latter exhibit features ceramics created by the internationally famous contemporary ceramist Zhu Legeng. While travelling with national leaders he was inspired to create two majestic environmental installations especially for Macau, the statement underlined.
Another of Zhu’s artworks titled “Box of Life” (生命之盒) is an inaugural large-scale work of Zhu’s Box Project (盒計劃) created by using the clay slab rolling technique that originated in the Song Dynasty. Following the “rhythmic vitality” (氣韻生動) aesthetic principle of Chinese paintings, Box of Life is a native masterpiece of contemporary Chinese art, one of the exhibition’s information boards points out.
The event runs until October 31 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily (closed on Mondays) at the Art Gallery and Art Centre at Wynn Palace in Cotai. The Chinese OX Series (中國牛) by Zhu is on display in the hotel lobby at Wynn Macau in Nape. Admission is free.
As part of the government’s COVID-19 epidemic prevention measures, all visitors entering the venues must wear a facemask, have their temperature checked and present a digital health code.
Photos: Prisca Tang & Camy Tam
