The Macao Museum of Art (MAM) is holding an exhibition titled “Portraits and Busts by Tam Chi Sang Donated to the Macao Museum of Art”, showcasing the artist’s works collected by the museum and donations from his students over the years.
According to MAM’s website, Tam was an artist and art educator who pioneered Western painting in Macau. He was born in Yunfu, Guangdong province, in 1920 and passed away in 2007. The statement noted that he studied Chinese painting with famous painter Li Xiaoshan in Zhaoqing in his early years and graduated from Zhaoqing Advanced Normal School.
In 1949, Tam moved to Macau and, according to the statement, “had been a pillar in the local art circles since the 1950s”. The statement said that he was good at painting with watercolours, oils as well as Chinese painting and sculpture. He also “excelled at drawing landscapes, portraits, birds and flowers, and still life”, with works exhibited in Macau, Hong Kong, Beijing, Canada and Portugal, among others.
The statement said that the works featured in the exhibition are 13 portraits from the donated collections, including sketches, oil paintings, Chinese paintings, and sculptures. The “Self-portraits” section displays the artist’s self-portraits and self-portrait busts made from the 1970s to the 1990s, showing his “exploration and pursuit of artistic style and colour applications through the self-portrait practices”.
Meanwhile, the Portraits section displays portraits of Tam’s wife, friends and students, showcasing his “solid sketching foundation” and ability to capture expressions and manners enabling the audience to observe the “humane care and the traces of time in his works”. His vivid and realistic portraits enabled him to develop his own painting style which is indicated in his sketches, oil paintings, Chinese paintings and sculptures, the statement said.
The exhibition runs until April 16 next year. Due to the current COVID-19 outbreak in Macau, the museum is temporarily closed until further notice. More information can be found at https://www.icm.gov.mo/en/.
These images taken from the Macao Museum of Art’s (MAM) website show some of the exhibits.
