Text & Photos By ELOI SCARVA / Translation DAISY WONG
Tsang Tseng Tseng is an artist on the rise in the territory’s contemporary art scene, becoming well recognized for her excellent technique and the reflections on art and culture that accompany her work. In a context where globalization and tradition often collide, Tsang manages to find a subtle balance that not only preserves the cultural legacy, but also updates it, providing new interpretations that speak to modern audiences.
She recently presented a solo exhibition with works about Macau at the Rui Cunha Foundation Gallery entitled Chinese Ink Rhythms of Saint Paul’s Church of Macau, and received an Orient Foundation Art Award at the recent Art For All Autumn Salon 2024. Tsang was also chosen to represent the art community of Macau at the 30th anniversary celebrations of the Orient Foundation held in Goa in February.
Tsang’s artistic career got off to a promising start in 2008 when she received the ‘New Talents Award’ at the 24th Macau Artists’ Collective Exhibition, awarded by the Macau Municipal Affairs Bureau, exhibiting her work for the first time at the prestigious Macau Military Club.
“The inspiration for my paintings comes from the history of Chinese education and culture. While I study tradition, I also carefully observe my surroundings in Macau,” says Tsang, also known as San Zhen, sharing her perspectives on the fusion of Chinese tradition with contemporary artistic approaches.
This duality is a constant in her works, which incorporate the softness and elegance of painting from the Jiangnan region, where she began her training, while adapting to the vibrant, urban influences of the present.
Her approach, however, is not limited to the mere representation of reality. Tsang says that when she looks at nature, she doesn’t just stick to what he sees in the moment.
“My works are compositions that include small details and stories, almost like a ‘collection’ of my experiences and emotions.” This ability to capture the essence of moments and transform them into artistic expressions is one of the aspects that sets her apart, offering the public a multifaceted but essentially intimate experience. Her academic training at the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou, under the direction of landscape painting master Lin Hai Zhong, has become a fundamental pillar in her work, says Tsang.
“Technique is an essential component that must be mastered in order for emotions to be truly reflected through painting,” she points out. As well as pursuing her own career, Tsang is also committed to training new generations of artists in her role as a lecturer at the City University of Macau. She observes that she often comes across students who focus too much on superficial aesthetics.
“Many art students only focus on creating something visually appealing right from the start, in search of perfection. I encourage them to focus on technique and brush control, which are essential to the narrative of art,” she explains.
Reflecting on the reception of her work by the artistic community, Tsang expresses her gratitude.
“The city offers many opportunities for artists. It’s gratifying to know that my style is recognized,” she says.
In addition to painting in her studio, Tsang is also open to interactions with other artistic forms and occasionally embraces her performative side, creating “live” paintings, using traditional fans as a base for small works of ink painting.
“When invitations to perform come along, I see it as an opportunity to expand my practice. These experiences bring a new dimension to my work and allow me to connect more directly with the public,” she reveals.
Her willingness to experiment demonstrates her clear aim of presenting contemporary art as a space of continuous evolution, where new forms of expression can enrich the artistic discourse.
The dialogue between the past and the present is a constant theme in Tsang’s work and she highlights the influence of the masters of painting who preceded her, specifically citing Wu Li, a painter from the Ming and Qing dynasties who visted Macau during those times.
“Imagining how Wu Li would interpret the landscape of Macau today offers me a new perspective. This reflection leads me to think about the intersection between art history and my current practice,” she explains, stressing the importance of considering cultural heritage while creating something new.
Looking to the future, Tsang expresses a clear desire to continue exploring and expanding her artistic endeavours.
“I want to develop new series that tell different stories and reflect the evolution of my own perspective. Art should be a reflection of who we are and also of the times we live in,” she concludes.
Tsang Tseng Tseng stands out for her approach that unites tradition and modernity, offering the viewer a vision of what contemporary painting can represent today. Her work is not simply an aesthetic appreciation; it is also a contribution to a broader debate on culture and identity, something she herself makes very clear. By embracing her cultural roots while adapting to new currents in the art world, Tsang offers a space on canvas for deeper reflections on Chinese history and what it represents today, something that resonates not only in Macau, but also in global artistic contexts.
