With their passion for supporting local artists and enthusiasm for inviting the public into their very homely office space in central Macau, Ambiente Properties hosted their second Art@Ambiente event in June, featuring the impressive oil paintings of Leong Chi Mou.
There was such a positive response to the inaugural one-day Art@Ambiente event held in April featuring artwork by painter Denis Murrell and thus, Leong Chi Mou’s exhibition, in partnership with Art for All Society, Macau (AFA), was extended to three days to allow the public more time to view his work and purchase pieces they particularly appreciated.
“I think hosting art exhibitions in an office is great for Macau from a commercial point of view,” notes Leong Chi Mou. “If you want to run a gallery like those in Hong Kong, the risks and capital involved are very high, and there are not as many people in Macau to purchase the artworks. This collaboration with Ambiente is a bit of a crossover between art and business, and I think it is a very good approach.”
Leong Chi Mou was born in Guangzhou and moved to Macau in 2003, later graduating from the Macao Polytechnic Institute with a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts (Oil Painting). He is a committee member of the Macau Young Artists Society and has established his own studio, ‘CHI-MOU ESTUDIO’. With a background in Western painting and Graffiti, Chi Mou enjoys experimenting with new materials in his creation. His current focus is on the study of Neo-Orientalism.
“Neo-Orientalism is an approach to bridge the gap between Eastern and Western cultures,” he explains. “When it comes to Neo-Orientalism, I must emphasise Mio Pang Fei, the great Macau scholar and artist who recently passed away. His theories have influenced me greatly.”
Chi Mou uses his artwork as an expression of his views on Macau society. His extensive use of gold leaf symbolises the recent development of the city’s economy, a “golden age” as he describes it. But despite the outward beauty, he also feels that society has become highly competitive, with people having to fight against one another for the spoils, an idea represented by the animals depicted in his paintings.
“Both Art@Ambiente exhibitions have been so enjoyable, so successful, that the team and I are eager to host our next one soon,” says managing director of Ambiente Properties, Suzanne Watkinson. “This time we’re planning a collection of several artists”, she adds. “We’re a real estate company and as such it makes most sense to our visitors that there’s a ‘fit’ between the art we feature and their home and office décor. We are currently meeting with various local artists; we welcome anyone reading this now who would like to participate to get in touch with me or our general manager Alex.”
