SJM Resorts, S.A. (“SJM”) hosted an Appreciation Tour on 28 July 2021 for its exhibition Harmony of East and West – The Exhibition by Famous Local Artists, the exhibition is part of SJM’s “Art • Creation • New Ambience” series in support of “Art Macao: Macao International Art Biennale 2021”. SJM invited seven renowned artists to introduce all of their works including the pieces that were specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort, and to also share their creative concepts behind each art piece. At the event, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SJM Ms. Daisy Ho presented Certificates of Appreciation to the participating artists: Dr. Ambrose So, Mr. Carlos Marreiros, Mr. Ung Vai Meng, Mr. Konstantin Bessmertny, Mr. Denis Murrell, Mr. Eric Fok and Mr. Cai Guo Jie.

Ms. Daisy Ho, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SJM, said, “In an effort to further engage the local community in arts and culture, we have invited our commissioned artists to share their stories behind the creation of art pieces for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort.  Celebrating the harmonious blend of Eastern and Western cultures in Macau, these works to be showcased at Grand Lisboa Palace will be the largest collection of locally commissioned artworks of any resort in Macau.”  She continued, “The exhibition enables the artists to share their cultural views, and calls upon people to pause to appreciate the beauty of the art, aiming to broaden people’s cultural horizons and to connect the world with creativity.”

Harmony of East and West – The Exhibition by Famous Local Artists
21 July until 31 August (Grand Lisboa Hotel Macau)
1 – 31 October (Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau)
The central theme of the Harmony of East and West – The Exhibition by Famous Local Artists exhibition resonates with Grand Lisboa Palace, which embraces the rich cultural heritage of Macau and showcases Macau’s unique role as a platform for Sino-Western cultural exchange. Each of the art pieces designed by the seven local artists captures the unique mix of East and West in Macau, where two very diverse cultures co-exist harmoniously. 

Introducing the locally commissioned artists and their works
The following is an introduction to the seven artists and each of their art pieces which have been specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau:

Dr. Ambrose So
A renowned calligrapher in Macau and Hong Kong, Dr. Ambrose So is the Founder and Chairman of the Jiazi Society of Calligraphy. He has held various solo exhibitions in Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Taiwan, Lisbon and Aveiro in Portugal, as well as Burgundy in France. Some of his works have been collected by various museums, notably the University Museum and Art Gallery of The University of Hong Kong (HKU), Hong Kong Museum of Art, University of Macau (UM), Macao Museum, Hunan Provincial Museum in China, Tsing Hua University in Taiwan, Princeton University Art Museum and the Library of Congress in the United States. He is advisor to the Centre for Studies of Hong Kong, Macau and Pearl River Delta at Sun Yat-sen University, and Chairman of the Association of Chinese Culture and Art of Macao. He was awarded the Honorary University Fellowship by HKU, the Doctor of Social Sciences honoris causa by UM, and the Honorary Fellowship by HKU SPACE.  He was conferred Medal of Merit – Culture by the Macao SAR Government in 2009, and Comendador da Ordem do Mérito by the President of Portugal in 2014.

Specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau: Humility Scroll
For Grand Lisboa Palace, Dr. So created the Humility Scroll which features the 15^th chapter of the “Book of Changes”, an ancient Chinese divination text and philosophical guide dating back to 1,000 B.C. This chapter, which focuses on the virtues of true humility, was written in seal script calligraphy and cast in traditional Chinese black brick ceramic through a dragon kiln – an ancient technique. Framed by Portuguese hand-painted azulejos, the Humility Scroll embraces the Grand Lisboa Palace theme of bridging the cultures of East and West.

Currently displayed at Grand Lisboa Hotel: Systema Naturae

Mr. Carlos Marreiros
An architect, artist and professor, Carlos Marreiros is the founder and President of MAA Marreiros Architectural Atelier Ltd. and President of Albergue SCM / ALBCreativeLAB. He has also received many prestigious accolades – the “Medal of Cultural Merit”, “Medal of Value” (Macau’s highest honour), “Great Officer of the Order of Prince Henry” and “Medal of Professional Merit”.

Specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau: Serene Dawn of Tomorrow and Macau Glory
For Grand Lisboa Palace, Mr. Marreiros presents two works of art. His Serene Dawn of Tomorrow painting features three iconic Macau landmarks – the Hotel Lisboa, Macau Tower and Grand Lisboa. Hotel Lisboa represents the start of prosperity, the Macau Tower is a beacon for the Macau SAR and Grand Lisboa symbolises a prosperous future. His Macau Glory art panels, made of traditional Azulejo Portuguese porcelain tiles, depict scenes of Macau from the 16^th century to today. One panel represents the first encounter between Chinese and Portuguese, while the other panel shows a strong bond that develops between the two cultures.

Currently displayed at Grand Lisboa Hotel: Race to Glory

Mr. Ung Vai Meng
Macau native Ung Vai Meng studied under renowned local watercolour artist Kam Cheong Ling. He is also a member of the Macau Artist Society and founding member of Círculo dos Amigos da Cultura de Macau. In 1999, he was designated as the first Director of the Macau Museum of Art and from 2010 to 2017, he served as President of the Cultural Affairs Bureau for the Macao SAR Government.

Specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau: Auspicious Stars Shine Over the Ruins of Saint Paul
For Grand Lisboa Palace, Mr. Ung has created a mixed media panel entitled: Auspicious Stars Shine Over the Ruins of Saint Paul. His die-cut metal linework of one of Macau’s most iconic landmark, St. Paul’s façade, is backed with Portuguese tiling and oyster shells. The tiles and oyster shells symbolise the paved city streets and Macau’s Chinese nickname of “Hou Keng” which refers to the oyster beds surrounding the peninsula. The gold and blue mosaic tiles are an elegant nod to the mosaic ceiling of Hotel Lisboa.

Currently displayed at Grand Lisboa Hotel: The Ruins of St. Paul

Mr. Konstantin Bessmertny
Macau and Hong Kong-based artist Konstantin Bessmertny creates detailed paintings that engage with literature, history, music and politics in an intelligent and whimsical manner. He represented the Macau Pavilion at the 2007 Venice Biennale, and has presented solo shows all over the world.

Specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau: E. meets W. and W. meets E.
For Grand Lisboa Palace, Mr. Bessmertny presents E. meets W. and W. meets E. Specially tailored for the new resort, the two illustrious paintings play with the ideas of how “The East as seen by the West” and “The West as seen by the East”. Through vivid colours, imagery and whimsy, the painting presents temples, blooming gardens, oriental patterns and exquisite ceremonies to depict the East, while capturing the West through scenes of vineyards, Chateaux, royal ceremonies and pop icons.

Currently displayed at Grand Lisboa Hotel: Babel Lisboa

Mr. Denis Murrell
Originally from Australia, Denis Murrell has been an artist and educator in Macau for more than 30 years. His instantly identifiable style of painting, which makes use of absorbent tissue paper with acrylic, ink, and other water-based pigments, won him first prize for Western painting in the Second Macau Biennial Art Exhibition, as well as many other awards. His works have also been featured in solo and group exhibitions from Macau, Mainland China and Japan to Sweden and beyond.

Specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau: Untitled I and II
For Grand Lisboa Palace, Mr. Murrell has created two untitled acrylic mixed media art pieces. Both pieces, located in the Grand Lisboa Palace Lobby Lounge, are in “dialogue” with one another in terms of colour, motion and atmosphere. One piece features blues, oranges and pinks, while the other features bold contrasting colours, broad shapes and branching white lines to guide the viewers’ gaze upwards.

Currently displayed at Grand Lisboa Hotel: Untitled

Mr. Eric Fok
Young Macau artist Eric Fok is renowned for his detailed technical drawings that mix tradition and modernity. His works can be found in the Museum of the Orient in Portugal, the Macau Government Headquarters and the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macau SAR, as well as in private collections worldwide.

Specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau: Paradise and Paradise – Ships on the Oriental Coast
For Grand Lisboa Palace, Mr. Fok has created two meticulously detailed pen and ink drawings. Paradise features a bustling garden alive with the activity of whimsical figures and creatures. It also references the Grand Trianon, an iconic piece of architecture emblematic of the rise of Chinoiserie in the European courts. The use of metal engraving as a medium is a thematic nod to Macau’s historic role as a trading port for silver. Paradise – Ships on the Oriental Coast captures the hope, excitement and joy of the Age of Discovery by merging the past with the present. Using delicate linework, the artist places Grand Lisboa Palace amongst the hustle and bustle of old Macau.

Currently displayed at Grand Lisboa Hotel: Paradise series

Mr. Cai Guo Jie
Taiwanese artist Cai Guo Jie has resided in Macau since 2011. Formerly Vice President of the Art for All Society and a Visual-Art Instructor at the Macao Museum of Art, Mr. Cai is now a Doctoral student of Research on intermedia art theory and practice at the China Academy of Art. He is regularly engaged in painting, installations, concepts and other forms of art creation, as well as art and exhibition planning and art education.

Specially commissioned for Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau: Octagonal Pavilion Library and View of Lisbon, Portugal
For Grand Lisboa Palace, Mr. Cai created two vibrant watercolour paintings which have been adapted onto two tapestries in the East and West Lobbies of Grand Lisboa Palace. One tapestry depicts the distinctive Octagonal Pavilion Library in Macau, while the other shows an expansive View of Lisbon, Portugal. Through the artist’s lively brushwork and the exquisite weaving of the two tapestries, two cultures and countries become one.

Currently displayed at Grand Lisboa Hotel: St. Dominic’s Church