The “Highly Collectable Art Fair” hosted in Casa Garden is coming to its close, with art lovers, collectors and other members of the public able to view the over 180 art pieces on display until Sunday.
Now in its seventh edition, the art fair has normally been held twice a year since 2019. On show this time are ceramics, sculptures, engravings, wood and mixed media, with prices going from thousands to even hundreds of thousands of patacas for some of the pieces.
Among the items displayed and for sale are the creations of local artists, with the exhibition highlighting and celebrating the ceramic works of Macau’s creators. Other pieces featured and sold in this edition are reproductions by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Belarus-born Marc Chagall (1887-1985), French artist Paul Gauguin (1848-1903), and Chinese painter Qi Baishi (1864-1957), as well as works by Japanese masters.
Elaborating more on this edition and showcase, curator and the fair’s founder James Wong Cheng Pou told the Post in an interview on Monday that more ceramic works from the local art circles are presented this time. Most of them, Wong said, are related to the idea of plants and flowers, highlighting that people have not only purchased these works simply for aesthetics, but practicality, along with having a chance of better understanding the artist behind a particular piece. “They buy not only for beauty, but it could also be more beauty related to their life”.
The exhibition kicked off on December 21, and overall, Wong said that the fair has had a good run, noting that close to around 40 percent of artworks have already been sold. Wong also went on to point out that some of the artworks by Macau’s artists have been “selling very well”, noting the abilities of local artists.
Wong added that the fair has also seen collectors from both Hong Kong and China’s Taiwan region who have already ordered some of the pieces from the total of 180 works presented, while there are those who have also shown interest in the works by icons like Chagall and Picasso, highlighting that he was confident that most of these works will have been sold before the exhibition ends.
While this edition has done well, Wong said that the sales this time, however, still haven’t topped the first and second times that they held the fair, noting that the first two editions were “totally awesome” as works had been sold within just two days. However, he stressed, this edition’s close to 40 percent figure by Monday was still “a very good number”.
With the support of local artists and collector circles, Wong said he hopes to keep the fair going and, depending on the venue’s schedule, adding that plans for the second edition of the fair this year are in the works. It could take place in the summer or between November and December.
Overall, Wong said he believes that the art fair held biannually at the local headquarters of the Lisbon-based Fundação Oriente in Praça de Luís de Camões (白鴿巢前地) has become “one of the most interesting gatherings” for the art circles involved. Supported by collectors, the fair is an event that artists, collectors and their respective circles know about. “I’m not a dealer, but essentially I just try to do something good for the artists”, he said regarding the event’s concept.
Art lovers, collectors and other members of the public may view the works on show from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m. during its run through Sunday.
-Photos taken yesterday by Rui Pastorin
