Art is food for our souls. It represents man's desire for a bright world. The Macao Annual Art Exhibition is a meaningful activity and has become Macau's cultural brand under the hard work of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government. I am very impressed by the large number of participants in this year’s exhibition and the rich artistic language and wide variety of artistic expression shown in the works. I can feel the artists' passion to create and their enthusiasm to explore the multi-cultural environment. A city' s cultural accumulation and degree of innovation will affect its level of civilization. With such a large a group of artists ploughing and sowing in the world of art, I believe it will not be long before Macao artists are creating world-class artworks. Having been invited to be one of the judges of the exhibition, I am happy to share my experience with Macao artists and to contribute my effort in promoting art development in Macao.

YU JI HAN

 

The large number of diversified artworks in the Macao Annual Art Exhibition shows that cultural art is flourishing in Macao and a new generation of artists has came to the fore, which is gratifying. The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government has put a lot of patient and painstaking effort into unearthing new talents, in organizing the exhibition and in collecting the artworks. During the selection process, all members of the judging panel evaluated the works in a serious and fair manner.

The participants' overall level of accomplishment is reflected in the exhibition. A group of new artists with contemporary styles has emerged and aesthetic appreciation has evolved from the traditional to the diversified. The means of artistic expression, the scientific application of modern materials and the artistic language of different artists have become growingly distinct, with noticeably mature personal styles.

For further improvements, I suggest that artists focus on producing large-sized paintings and on strengthening their strong points, and to make innovations and enhancements in the areas of traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, sculpture and print. For now, I can see there is great potential for the category of sculpture but artists need to exert more effort in oil painting. For traditional Chinese painting, artists need to practice more, collect more elements and to replace traditional painting techniques with modern ones.

I hope to see more Macao artworks in national art exhibitions in the future and I take this opportunity to congratulate all participants.

JIA XIANG GUO

 

I am frequently asked to judge art exhibitions, but I have never been so close to Macao artworks as in the 2010 Macao Annual Art Exhibition. I was very curious about the art culture presented in the city. The Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao S.A.R. Government has shown a rigorous and attentive approach both in communications and in bringing forward the appraisal process.

The 500 entries reveal Macao residents' enthusiasm for the exhibition. Due to the city' s geographical location and historical background, I was expecting to see works with an overwhelmingly western impact. However, the format and techniques shown in the works contain both modern originality and traditional Chinese connotations, which are invaluable.

Chinese cultural art' s development and inheritance are our responsibility as Chinese artists and we should work hard to keep them as the principals of creation. With a rich cultural background, good professional accomplishments, and continuous production and cultural exchange, artists will be able to create exceptional expressive artworks. During the evaluation process, I could see much professionalism and enthusiasm on the part of both participants and judges, and I was very impressed.

LIU RONG YIN

 

In November 2009, I made my first visit to Macao to be one of the judges for the Macao AnnualArt Exhibition. Although I did not have enough time to experience the exotic culture of this legendary city, I did not feel regret as the two-day visit provided me with a unique experience and much inspiration from the extraordinarily splendid artworks and their creators’ perseverance and fascination for art. When I learnt that these works are mainly produced by “art lovers” with different occupations, I felt deep respect and appreciation towards them. I would hardly call them "amateur".

WANG CHUAN