Camy Tam
An art exhibition entitled “Love, Inclusion, Art” (愛‧融‧藝), which celebrates the 35th anniversary of The Macau Association for the Mentally Handicapped (AMHA 澳門弱智人士服務協會), is being held at the Rui Cunha Foundation (FRC) Gallery.
The event is organised by the association, sponsored by the Bank of China (Macau Branch) and Wynn Care Foundation, and supported by the Rui Cunha Foundation.
The exhibition showcases 44 artworks such as paintings, ceramics, handicrafts and collages by students from Kai Chi School (啟智學校), Kai Chi Initial Training Centre (啟智早期訓練中心), Kai Lung Vocational Centre (啟能中心), Kai Hon Centre (啟康中心) and “Sam Meng Chi” Snack House (心明治小食店). The pieces were done under the guidance of mentors who every day encourage these “special young people to overcome their disabilities through the arts”, according to a statement on the gallery’s website.
Founded in 1986, AMHA has encouraged the learning of manual arts, as a way to “develop emotional and behavioural skills through self-expression. These workshops offer children and young people an opportunity to work with materials, stimulating the exploration through alternative communication methods, which give them a sense of control of the creative environment”, explains the exhibition’s declaration.
The statement underlines that this is the fourth consecutive year that the Rui Cunha Foundation Gallery has hosted the event, adding that the ongoing project aims to value art for its communicative potential, ability to stimulate personal self-knowledge and challenge difficulties, stigmas and prejudices among these young people with special needs.
The exhibition is being held until today at the Rui Cunha Foundation Gallery at 749 Avenida da Praia Grande from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
As part of the government’s COVID-19 prevention measures, all visitors are required to wear a facemask, have their temperature checked and present their digital health code when entering the gallery.
For enquiries, call 2892 3288 or visit https://ruicunha.org/frc/?p=28289.
Photos: Camy Tam
