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The Beauty of Metamorphosis

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Born in 1977, Tong Chong has been an active figure in the local art scene, known for his works of painting, paper-cutting, wood sculpture and seal carving. Late last year he was commissioned to  design the official poster for the 8th edition of The Script Road-Macau Literary Festival. 
 
Could you tell us about the inspiration and creative process behind the poster you designed for this year’s The Script Road-Macau Literature Festival?
In the past two years, I have mainly worked on paper-cutting artworks. The Literary Festival’s Preparatory Committee saw my work and felt it really matched the theme of the Festival – poetry.  In the poster, the space looks very homey, like a study or a dining room, with a window, which symbolizes the communication between one’s inner life and the outer world. Art or literature is produced in ordinary places like this. Placed next to the window is a pot of orchids, which represents nobility and integrity in Chinese traditions.
 
This poster plays with the concept of metamorphosis. In China and the West, people who enjoy reading are often called bookworms. It is from this name that I came up with the idea. The implication is that literature is produced through constant preparation and incubation. I used a romantic and “poetic” approach – many beautiful poems are not about real things, they are a carrier of our emotions. 
 
Also, since this is the Macau Literary Festival, I have also added some local elements, such as a lotus flower, a lighthouse, and the sea. The cloud is also an element that often appears in my work. I’ve always loved staring at the sky and daydreaming, so the cloud is very important to my work. The clouds in the sky, the reflections and waves in the water all seem to be floating and free of any restraints, which is consistent with the nature of poetry.
 
Why do you prefer the art form of paper cutting?
Visually, the edges in paper-cutting works are very crisp, which is quite difficult to achieve when painting with brushes. Paper-cutting is also culturally connotative, it was immediately born after paper was invented. Paper-cutting is a very old art form, but when I create it, I incorporate contemporary ideas or aesthetics.  Besides, paper is also closely related to literature; its emergence greatly promoted the growth of literature.
 
Can you tell us about exhibition you are going to present during The Script Road?
In mid-March, I will have a joint exhibition with Noah Ng, another local artist, in the Creative Macau – Center for Creative Industries. My works will be paper-cuttings too, but compared with the poster, they will be more expressive and abstract, and involve more complex techniques.  In fact, my artistic creation is always evolving.  Maybe after a while, I will return from abstraction to a realistic style, but it will definitely be different in terms of visual features or thinking processes. Just like the incense burning in a temple, the smoke may seem to be just swirling around, but ultimately it is going up. All creations need to be refined over time.
 
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The Script Road – Macau Literary Festival returns in March for its eighth edition, this year with a focus on the beautiful rhyme, rhythm and expression of poetry, and its ability to cross over and inspire other art forms like theatre, music, cinema and visual arts. The Script Road is inviting a number of renowned poets, particularly from China and Portuguese-speaking countries, to present engaging and informative workshops and discussion panels.  
 
 
Salvador Sobral and his “small change” in the Portuguese music scene, 
in concert at the Venetian on March 17
 
 
Rolling Puppets theatre group reflect on the work of 
revolutionary writer Lu Xun
 
 
As this year’s The Script Road turns its focus to poetry and its broader relationship to the arts, two exhibitions of local artists will be presented that demonstrate this notion very well, one by Alexandre Marreiros, and the other by Crystal Chan.  Crystal has been living in New York since 2015 and graduated from the School of Visual Arts. She had her first solo exhibition last year at Gallery 456 of The Chinese American Arts Council and is currently back home to participate in the Macau Literary Festival. 
 
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