Artist’s Profile
Kam Cheong Ling (1911 – 1991)
Born in Hong Kong to a family from Huaxian County, Guangdong Province, Kam Chong Ling studied painting with Xu Yongqing. Settling in Macao in 1945, he was an important watercolourist in those early days of Macao art. His works mainly depict Macao’s sceneries, recording how the urban landscape changed over the years. He had worked in fine arts, design and art education, striving tirelessly to educate people through painting, and thus cultivating generations of artistic talents in the city.
Tam Chi Sang (1920 – 2007)
A native of Yunfu, Guangdong, Tam Chi Sang moved to Macao in 1949 and taught in several local primary and secondary schools for more than 50 years. In the 1960s, he established the Chi Sang Studio and often took his students to sketch outdoors, cultivating generations of art talents. In 1962, with Herculano Estorninho and Kwok Se, he founded the Rainbow Art Group. He held exhibitions in various places, and was active in activities organised by local associations. In 1993, he was awarded the Medal of Merit for Culture by the former Portuguese administration of Macao; and in 2002, he was awarded the Medal of Merit for Culture by the Macao SAR Government.
Kwok Se (1919 – 1999)
A native of Chaozhou, Guangdong, Kwok Se graduated from the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in Singapore. He settled in Macao in the early 1960s. In 1962, he founded the Rainbow Art Group together with Herculano Estorninho and Tam Chi Sang. He was good at oil painting, Chinese painting and watercolour. His works have been exhibited in various countries and collected by several museums and collectors. In 1987, he was awarded the Medal of Merit for Culture by the former Portuguese administration of Macao.
Herculano Estorninho (1921 – 1994)
Born in Macao, Herculano Estorninho studied at St. Joseph’s Seminary and later at Liceu Nacional Infante D. Henrique. He started painting at the age of eight. He mainly studied oil painting and watercolour. Although he had learned painting with Luís Demée and Frederick Joss, his paintings maintain strong individuality and are highly innovative. He formed the Rainbow Art Group together with fellow painters and served as the leader. He once worked in Timor and held painting exhibitions in Portugal and Macao since 1973.
Adolfo C. Demée (1935 – 2008)
Born in Macao, Adolfo C. Demée developed his interest in fine arts when he was a student. Encouraged and guided by his cousin Luís Demée, he started to learn sketching in watercolour at the age of 14. Around 1963, he actively created art and participated in the Exhibition of Rainbow Art Group at the gallery of Leal Senado of Macao (now IAM Gallery) in 1964. In the 1970s, he switched to oil painting. Both of his watercolour and oil painting show a unique personality.
Lai Ieng (1949 – )
Born in Macao, Lai Ieng started studying watercolour painting in the 1970s, during which he actively engaged himself in painting and producing National Day decorated arches (pailou). In his early career, he worked in the fields of movie posters art and advertising design. Later he opened the Lai Ieng Painting Studio to teach painting. His works, with bright, rich colours and great charm, reflect Macao’s landscapes and flavours of life. Lai is the vice chairman of the Guangdong Artists Association, a member and former council member of the China Artists Association, chairman of the supervisory board and former president of the Macau Artist Society, and president of the Macau Art Master Association. He was awarded the Medal of Merit for Culture by the Macao SAR Government in 2008.
Lio Man Cheong (1951 – )
Born in Zhuhai, Lio Man Cheong has settled in Macao since an early age. He mainly works with oil painting and watercolour and has won many awards. His works were shown in important exhibitions in various cities. He designed stamps for the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau and also worked in the fields of movie-related fine art and advertising design. He enthusiastically participated in the painting and production of the National Day decorated arches (pailou) early in his career. He is currently a member of the China Artists Association and vice president of the Macau Artist Society.
Poon Kam Ling (1951 – )
Born in Macao, Poon Kam Ling was involved in the painting and production of the National Day decorated arches (pailou) in her early career. She was specially invited by the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau to design stamps. Her art works were selected to several editions of the National Art Exhibition. Poon is currently a member of the China Artists Association, the vice president of the Macau Artist Society, and the president of the International Women Artists – Macau, actively serving her duties on these several positions. In 2017, she was awarded the Medal of Merit for Culture by the Macao SAR Government.
Sio In Leong (1951 – )
Born in Macao, Sio In Leong studied painting with Tam Chi Sang for many years. He is good at watercolour painting and he has been exploring realist techniques while pursuing innovation. He also creates in photography, video and multimedia. His works have been exhibited in various places, winning multiple awards. The National Art Museum of China in Beijing, the Dongguan Art Museum, the Foshan Art Museum, the Macao Museum of Art and the Macao Foundation have collected his works. He is currently the executive vice president of the Macau Artist Society and the chairman of the Macau Art Master Association.
Choi Su Weng (1952 – )
Choi Su Weng, a professional painter, was born in Macao. In his work, themes often depict Macao’s scenery and character, and his love of the city is reflected in the impressions he paints. Choi primarily creates oil paintings and watercolours. A member of the Macau Artist Society, he has displayed works in Canada, Portugal, Beijing, Shanghai and Macao.
Ng Wai Kin (1956 – )
Born in Macao, Ng Wai Kin studied painting with Master Kam Cheong Ling in his early years and later engaged in graphic design. His works have been exhibited in various countries, wining numerous awards. Since 1983, he has been invited to design philatelic items for the Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau. He is currently a member of the China Artists Association and the chairman of the Macau Artist Society. In 2006, he won the Artistic Achievement Award by the China Cultural Exchange Centre of the Ministry of Culture of China, and in 2020, he was awarded the Medal of Merit for Culture by the Macao SAR Government.
Ung Vai Meng (1958 – )
Born in Macao, Ung Vai Meng studied painting with Kam Cheong Ling while a young boy, and later received a grant to study art in Portugal. He has a master’s degree in Chinese painting theory from Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and a doctorate degree in fine arts from the Department of Art History, China Academy of Art. He was the first director of the Macao Museum of Art and a former president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau. Currently he is a Distinguished Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Macau University of Science and Technology. A member of the Macau Artist Society and a founding member of the Círculo dos Amigos da Cultura de Macau, he was awarded the Medal of Merit for Culture by the former Portuguese administration of Macao in 1999, and in 2001, the Certificate of Merit by the Macao SAR Government. He was awarded ‘Order of Merit’ by the Portuguese Government in 2014 and ‘Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters’ by the French Government in 2015.
Lei Wai Wa (1961 – )
Born in Guangzhou, Lei now lives in Macao. Although he primarily creates oil paintings and gouache works, he also excels at calligraphy. He has received numerous awards, including Best Works awards in the categories of painting (Western techniques) and Chinese calligraphy at the Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists, Ten Best Works awards for his Western and Chinese paintings at the Macao Annual Visual Arts Exhibition, and the Excellent Artwork Award at the 12th National Exhibition of Fine Arts in China. Many of his works have earned places in public and private collections. Lei is currently a Chinese Artists Association member, a council member of the Macau Artist Society and the vice president of Macao Culture and Art Association.
Lam Tsz Kwan (1981 – )
Growing up in Macao, Lam studied drawing under artist Lai leng, understanding more about life through sketching from nature. A graduate of the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University in Beijing, her early works in watercolour explored Macao’s festive characteristics and she excelled at connecting urban symbolic meanings. Since 2020, Lam has been most active in producing works in acrylics. Meanwhile, she has continued to depict local vanishing scenery in watercolour, with works that reflect the relationship between humanity, nature and cities. She has exhibited at the Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists and earned the Best Concept Award at the Macao Arts Festival. Some of her works have earned places in the MAM and private collections. She is now a council member of the of the Macau Artist Society and the secretary-general of the Macau Youth Art Association.
Lai Sio Kit (1983 – )
Born in Macao, Lai is a full-time artist and curator. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in oil painting at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. His early works examined early developing cities while also exploring urban ecology, living conditions, and the connection between time and city growth. Later, he shifted his focus to forests, where the spirituality of nature inspired his creativity. He is now a Chinese Artists Association member, the vice director of the Macau Artist Society, a council member of the Macau Art Master Association and the director of the Macau Youth Art Association.
Kuok Hoi Leng (1993 – )
Born in Macao, Kuok is currently an art teacher. Majoring in Western painting, she graduated from the department of fine arts of Taiwan Normal University. Kuok studied painting under the guidance of artist Dor Lio. In 2015, she held an exhibition, Encounters: Watercolour Exhibition by Kuok Hoi Leng, and later exhibited at several local collaborative exhibitions. Kuok has won several awards, including the Young Artist Award at the Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists and the Outstanding Award in the Western media category at the Macao Annual Visual Arts Exhibition.
Kou Sio Nga (1995 – )
The Macao-born artist started painting at the age of four. As a young girl, she studied painting under artist Lai Ieng, from whom she learned to appreciate the city’s corners, shadows of trees and local customs, using a brush to depict scenes of life with water and paint. Later, she studied in the USA and minored in painting. Kou won the Young Artist Award in the category of painting (Western techniques) at the 24th Collective Exhibition of Macao Artists and held a collaborative exhibition the following year.