President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government
I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the grand opening of Wild Imagination: Contemporary Ink Art in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao from 2000 to 2022 jointly organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and the Department of Culture and Tourism of Guangdong Province, and coordinated by the Macao Museum of Art and the Guangdong Museum of Art.
Known as ‘traditional Chinese painting’, ink painting is a gem of Chinese art. And over its millenary history, myriads of masters and great works have emerged. Since the 20th century, influenced by Western trends, Chinese culture has painstakingly sought innovation and Chinese painting was no exception. Over the past one hundred years, painting masters have tried their best at innovation, from the suggestions of incorporating Western techniques, traditional Chinese skills and an eclectic mix of Chinese and Western style, to the ideals of abstract ink painting and ‘brush and ink amount to nothing’ by Wu Guanzhong, as well as the ‘post-ink’ idea. All these appeared freely as if performers on the opera stage to show their talents. In short, ink art in its diverse forms is flourishing in an exuberant way.
Into the 21st century, renowned curator Pi Daojian curates this contemporary ink art exhibition titled Wild Imagination, showcasing the creative thinking of Chinese artists in the new era against a backdrop of globalisation. The excellent exhibits display a wide variety of cross-media expressional forms, ranging from traditional ink painting on rice paper to oil painting, installation, multimedia and even performance art. From tangible ink painting to intangible ink spirit with Oriental philosophy, they are bold, novel and fresh, fully demonstrating the pioneering and experimental spirit of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao artists.
Macao is one of the first places in China to have been influenced by European and western cultures despite its small size. It was also the critical location for Western painters such as Giuseppe Castiglione to reach the Qing court and the Land of Treasure Lotus where English painter George Chinnery lingered and spent the rest of his life. Macao was also a creative haven for artists like Gao Jianfu, the Lingnan School master, and his colleagues of the Chunshui Painting Academy as they sought refuge from the Anti-Japanese Resistance War.
As the Greater Bay Area is under energetic construction, Macao is striving to fulfil the national strategy of building itself into a base for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is mainstream and diverse cultures coexist. Under this context, the presentation of Wild Imagination: Contemporary Ink Art in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao from 2000 to 2022 certainly embodies the constructive spirit of such base, while promoting the cultural confidence of a prosperous China.
I wish the exhibition an absolute success!
Deland, Leong Wai Man
President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR Government