The New Woman Development Association of Macao has launched “Yet to Know” Macau New Woman Contemporary Art Exhibition in the Mount Fortress Corridor, as a new attempt to draw attention to female artists, empower women and promote equal opportunities for both genders with the quiet yet strong power of art.
Bringing together over 50 works by eight female local artists, “Yet to Know” Macau New Woman Contemporary Art Exhibition will be on display at the Mount Fortress Corridor until November 18.
Encompassing a broad range of media and themes, the exhibition presents oil paintings, acrylic and printmaking works by Livis Lei, paintings and hand drawn creations by Kay Zhang, fashion designs by Sanchia Lau, abstract paintings by Heidi Ng, ceramic art and printmaking by Chiang Wai Lan, visual art works by Hera Ieong, illustrations by Yolanda Kog, and combinations of concepts and aesthetics by Cecilia Ho.
The exhibition is sponsored by the Cultural Institute and organised by the New Woman Development Association of Macao, a non-profit organisation founded in May last year by seven young women who felt the strong urge to have the voices of new-generation females heard.
Before the opening, we spoke with the two young curators of the exhibition, Kathine Cheong Weng Lam and Annya Lai Anqi, who are both founding members of the Association.
“Our Association was set up with the vision to inspire women in Macau. We want to deliver a message to people, that every woman should be able to live freely, dare to explore and fully unlock her potential. They should choose their future by their own will, not because of social norms,” Annya says.
The curating duo identifies themselves as feminists, but seem to dispute the Chinese translation of the term into “women’s rights campaigners”.
Annya clarifies, “People have a common misunderstanding, thinking that the idea is to hold women’s rights higher than men’s. But we prefer the original meaning of ‘feminists’. What we pursue is not the absolute equality of men and women, but equal opportunities. Too often you see the unconscious denial of equal opportunities, like valuing a man’s opinion more than a woman’s, regarding women as merely the subordinates of men, or paying women less than men of the same competence.”
Their advocacy does not take the form of political activism, but of art.
“Art is the medium we are fond of and good at. It is universal, which everyone can appreciate, while still keeping their own ideas,” Annya says. “This exhibition is a platform where talented people can show their artistic creativity and have their voices heard. We want to attract people’s attention to these artists, and women in general,” her partner in the Association Kathine adds.
The title “Yet to Know” is taken from a verse by ancient Chinese poet Bai Juyi: “She had been reared in the inner chambers – no one knew of her yet.”
“There are quite a few female artists in Macau with excellent works, but due to their gender, they are not getting enough attention. For some, they are already entering the international art scene, but remain hardly known by local people. By gathering these artists, our exhibition aims to magnify their impact, especially among locals,” Annya says.
More than 50 artworks are arranged in the three-storey exhibition space, all along the theme of “woman”.
“The artists have been very supportive, and over a dozen works have specifically been created for this exhibition,” Kathine reveals. “As you walk around the space, you can feel the progression of the emotion in these works and sense the chemistry between the art of different artists.”
Though the exhibition focuses on female artists, it by no means neglects male participation.
“We welcome male viewers as much as female ones. Equal opportunities for both genders cannot be achieved with the efforts of women alone,” says Kathine.
Annya adds that the Association has already attracted a number of male members, “they see us as a new hope, different from what they usually see or read about feminism.”
Both first-time curators, Kathine and Annya agree that the workload is much heavier than they expected.
“You have to take into account many details – but seeing your design of an exhibition on paper becoming three-dimensional is absolutely exciting!” Annya says. “From the laying-out to the arrangement of the works, we think each step over and over. We’ve been trying to draw young viewers by introducing some modern elements, such as light strings and coloured strips – which we dyed ourselves,” Kathine adds.
“Hopefully our exhibition with the eight artists can have a good result. You know, eight is an auspicious number,” Annya laughs. “We want to make the exhibition an annual event, and have more artists and viewers join us.”
