To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, the Hold On To Hope gallery, a project of the Rehabilitation Association of Drug Addicts of Macau (ARTM), invited photographic artist Lúcia Lemos to exhibit a collection of her work in its gallery. The event marks the 21st exhibition in the space and for the occasion, Lúcia dug deep into her catalogue of work, to present a series of black and white portraits of 20 female artists living in the territory or born in Macau, which was exhibited 22 years ago at the Macau Cultural Centre. All of the subjects of her photos are connected to the world of art in some way, be it visual arts, performing arts, architecture, jewelry or ceramics.
“Art has had a major place of importance in the lives of these women. Some of them made, and still make, art and art education their profession. They all liberated themselves through their artistic creations,” says the photographer and artist.
“I thought deeply about how to bring back these 20 portraits, that show these wonderful women artists who have all worked hard within their artistic fields, and to share their talents and aesthetic sensibilities. I approached Augusto Nogueira, President of ARTM and he said would be delighted to show the pictures on the celebration of International Women’s Day, which is a meaningful commemoration for woman worldwide.”
Lúcia then had to try to contact all the women to consult them on the idea. She was able to reach all but two of them, and they all responded very positively to the idea.
“Their responses have been amazing. Most of woman are still living in Macau, but a few are now living abroad. They loved the idea and they have experienced double happiness as they are more relaxed now and able to look at their life with a greater sense of tranquility.”
Seeing the images on display again after all this time has also been a positive experience for the artist.
“It brings a mixture of feelings, but essentially I am tremendously happy and proud of such harmonious, peaceful and wonderful works, which allow us to feel a profound moment of the spirit and soul of each woman.”
Reflecting on the opportunities for female artists in Macau, Lemos comments: “In general, women in Macau are well supported and they know how to access many ways to express their art. In particular, these 20 artists’ lives have changed, but they have kept creating and manifesting their creative ideas and practising their creativity in many ways.”
Lúcia Lemos was born in Vila Nova de Famalicão, a city in northern Portugal. She moved to Macau in 1982 when it was still under Portuguese administration. She has always been connected to the arts and has developed a range of skills, mainly in photography and video.
As a photographer she has almost always worked in black and white photography, with portrait photography her favorite subject, where “she favors spontaneity and natural lighting in an era of sophisticated technology”.
Both as a photographer and as a videographer she has received awards and mentions for her work. In 2004, she published a photographic essay on one of Macau’s greatest writers, Henrique de Senna Fernandes. Her works Shared Emotions and In the River of My Eyes were exhibited in Berkeley, USA, in 2005.
Lemos is also the director and member of the organizing committee of the Macau International Short Film Festival and the founder of Creative Macau, another creative and exhibition space in the territory.
And she is also very appreciative of the work that ARTM does in the city.
“This organization is doing incredible work in helping people recover and reintegrate into society. I decided to offer these portraits to the corresponding artists and, I asked each of them to make a donation to ARTM when they pick up their portrait after the exhibition finishes.”
