Wednesday marked the opening ceremony of the Cotai Art Exhibition Zou Shiming VS Jet Wu at The Venetian Macao, featuring local artist and former amateur boxer Jet Wu’s series of comic creations inspired by his long-time idol Zou Shiming, lauding the exploits of China’s most famous boxer. With the support of Sands China Ltd. and the Fighting Arts Club of Macau, the exhibition runs until Nov. 30, 2013 coinciding with The Clash in Cotai, where Zou features on the undercard, pitting his strength and skill against Mexico’s Juan “Pollo” Toscano. The exhibition, drawn entirely by Wu himself, is available for viewing daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Venetian Boutique Shop next to the Venetian Theatre. The free-admission exhibition is part of Sands China Ltd.’s ongoing effort in fostering the local cultural and creative industries and creating platforms for local talent to showcase their skills to a wider audience.
Present at the opening ceremony were Wong Lu Jiao, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Education of the Liaison Office of the Central’s People Government in the Macao SAR; Mandy Pang, Acting Chief of the Department for the Promotion of Cultural and Creative Industries of the Cultural Affairs Bureau of the Macao SAR; Edward Tracy, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sands China Ltd.; China’s golden boxer Zou Shiming, who is in town getting prepared for his next big fight at this Sunday’s The Clash in Cotai; Jet Wu, creator of the Cotai Art Exhibition; Tang Wing Un, Chairman of the Macau Fighting Arts Club; and Lok Ka Lim, Director of Teaching Affairs of Kwong Tai Middle School. The officiating guests cut the ribbon to mark the official launch of the exhibition, Wu afterwards presenting them with his limited-edition book featuring a collection of his paintings and Zou’s autographs. Wu then led them to visit the exhibition, with Zou autographing a few of the art pieces on display.
“I’d like to thank Zou Shiming and Sands China Ltd. for their great support of cultural creations, which makes me and my artwork known to people,” said Wu. “With Zou’s passion for boxing and my enthusiasm for comics, I hope my comic book ‘The Chinese Boxing King’ will touch every reader.”
“Wu’s creations really impress me and it’s amazing to see myself and my growth in becoming China’s first boxer to win Olympic gold featured in a comic book series,” Zou said. “I hope the theme of my boxing experiences, brought to life by Wu’s talent, can help more young boxers find encouragement and inspiration by way of this great exhibition.”
“I think this is a phenomenal exhibition,” said Tracy “We have a beautiful collection of artwork featuring Zou Shiming, a great hero of China who is returning to the Cotai Arena for the third time, drawn by Macao’s very own Jet Wu, a gifted local athlete and artist. Macao has a great pool of talent, and Sands China is ever ready to promote the cultural and creative industries of Macao and to create valuable platforms for local artists to showcase their skills to the world. I am very much impressed with Jet's work and his persistence in promoting boxing through his art. Here we have a great combination of art and sport, making for a very creative blend.”
With over 400 members of the press from around the world attending The Clash in Cotai, the Cotai Art Exhibition offers a valuable opportunity for Jet Wu and his comics to get a wider exposure internationally. Zou being on the Nov. 24 fight card also makes the exhibition a perfect occasion to introduce Wu’s talent to a wider audience.
Wu has an eclectic background, equally at home in the worlds of martial arts, boxing and art. He has numerous wins and accolades to his name, including in judo, boxing and in comic competitions. Wu first met Zou when the former was representing Macao in an international boxing tournament. He approached Zou and broached the topic of a boxing comic book series featuring Zou. Wu’s comic “The Chinese Boxing King” has had less than half a year of online exposure and has already attracted over 50,000 readers.
Wu has several objectives in releasing the comic starring Zou: he hopes to raise the level and increase the standard of art in Macao; show the mix of Western and Eastern cultures (boxing being a notably Western sport and Zou being an Eastern hero); and inspire the up-and-coming generation of youth by a story of rigorous training, encouraging them to think more seriously about the spirit that inspires the Olympics and boxing.
Headlined by legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao and former world champion Brandon Rios, The Clash in Cotai takes place at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena Sunday Nov. 24 at 8 a.m.