Local artist Fong Wai Peng, one of the members of the Macao Young Artist Promotion Project, uses her artwork to portray insects found in Macau to challenge the traditional idea of beauty in nature, she said in a recent statement.
The statement pointed out that according to a report by the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) in 2020, Macau has only nine species of reptile, while there are as many as 712 kinds of insects. Fong asked people in the statement, what would they do when they encounter those insects? She added that she hoped that through her work, people will be able to appreciate insects’ beauty.
According to the statement, Fong admitted that many people are disgusted by insects, so she wanted to use water colour as a medium to correct this common misunderstanding about insects. The statement said that she also has artwork using ultraviolet light, for her audience to appreciate nature from a different angle.
Meanwhile, she is also an illustrator who drew a picture book for children to tell them about environmental protection and a unique ant species – leptanilla – in Macau.
Fong said that Macau people and the ants coexist in this small city but never meet each other. Fong pointed out she hoped that the story book can teach children about the ecosystem existing in Macau and the importance of eco-preservation work.
Fong’s exhibition is open until Thursday at the site of the former Ox Warehouse at the junction of Avenida do Coronel Mesquita and Avenida do Almirante Lacerda. It opens daily from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Admission is free.
As part of the government’s COVID-19 prevention measures, visitors need to wear a facemask, have their temperature checked and present a digital health code when entering the exhibition.
Photos: Prisca Tang
