Interview by Rui Pastorin
The works of Brazilian photographer and visual artist Luiz Bhering, mixed-media artist Maria Madeira from Timor-Leste (East Timor), and local painter Wilson Lam Chi Ian are on display at the Forum Macao Complex gallery for the exhibition “4th Cycle of Lusophone Polychromies”.
Polychromie refers to the use of multiple colours in art, particularly in sculpture, architecture, or decorative arts.
On display until November 24, the exhibition is part of a series of activities of the 16th Cultural Week of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.
Madeira attended Monday’s opening ceremony. According to her website, she has produced works using a variety of media and showcased them in over 30 international exhibitions.
The artist told the Post after the Monday’s opening ceremony that the event marks the second time that she is showing her works in Macau, with the first 15 years ago. Her pieces on display include both those created recently, as well as some that date as far back as a decade ago.
“I work every day, I paint every day”, the artist said. “Whatever comes to mind, whichever concept that I feel needs to be spoken about, I work with it”, she said.
The pieces Madeira is showcasing, which were made through mixed media, are mainly about the plight of women, emphasising: “As an East Timorese female artist, I find that we are very silenced”.
Though the conditions are better now, Madeira remarked that 99.9 percent of contemporary visual artists in Timor-Leste are male. “I feel like there is a need to speak about the women, because the traditions of Timor-Leste are very much female, although it’s a patriarchal society. So, what is in public is male, but what works behind closed doors is all female”, wanting to show that women “are part of the big resistance, we are part of our cause for independence”.
Meanwhile, Lam, an artist who has won multiple design awards, who was also at Monday’s opening event, told the Post that his colourful and fluid paintings displayed are all about Macau, each created when he has free time, and not particularly created for the exhibition.
Lam said he often paints without doing any sketches, noting: “I just do what I like. I just sit there, look around, and just start”, adding that he likes incorporating colour and light.
Remarking on the importance of taking part in the ongoing exhibition, Lam cited cultural exchanges and making new friends as important factors, adding that when they create art, “the most important thing is to share [their creations] with people”, particularly those from a different culture. “They will have a different point of view” and perspectives, he said, adding that he was proud to be a participant in the event.
Aside from being able to meet new friends and benefitting art culture, Lam said that the exhibition was also a advantageous way to promote Macau and allow people to see it from a different angle.
As an artist and designer, Lam said that he finds Macau to be a gorgeous city, with the integration of elements like the mix of Eastern and Western cultures, as well as the new and the old, coming together and creating something very special, Lam pointed out.
More details about the artists and exhibition can be found on
https://semanacultural.forumchinaplp.org.mo/pt/event/view/46
Local artist Wilson Lam Chi Ian gives a speech during the opening ceremony of the “4th Cycle of Lusophone Polychromies” exhibition at the Forum Macao Complex gallery.
Artist Maria Madeira from Timor-Leste introduces one of her artworks on display at the exhibition. – Photos: Rui Pastorin
