The great Chinese inventions of paper and the printing press not only brought great scientific advancement to society, but also provided artists with more ways to create.
And from new printing technology came the art of printmaking, involving the creation of an original “edition” and reproducing the image on to paper and surfaces of other materials. Today, the most common printmaking categories include reliefs, intaglios, planographics and stencils.
While artists can produce unlimited copies of their work, they usually predetermine the number of copies to be produced. Each copy will be signed by the artist and allocated a serial number. Once the number of copies is reached, artists will often destroy the original work to ensure that no more copies can be produced in the futuer.
In order to promote printmaking, the Cultural Affairs Bureau has organized the Macao Printmaking Triennial 2015. The Triennial opened on November 29 and will last until February 14, 2016, exhibiting a total of 122 awarded and selected works from multiple countries and regions.
This is the second edition of the Macao Printmaking Triennial. The inaugural event took place in 2012 and was supported by artists from around the world.
Mr Wong Cheng Pou, a local veteran printmaking artist, has been invited by the organizers to be the curator of the Triennial this year. He explains that the objective of the Triennial is to be “a platform for printmaking experts from various countries, and also to offer great opportunities to encourage exchange and advancements in the genre of printmaking”.
Among the exceptional artworks being showcased in this year’s exhibition is Macau People, which was created by local artist Cheong Cheng Wa and was 心口人木山金awarded the First Prize by the Triennial. Visitor to the exhibition can find in the art piece scenes of Macau’s streets and alleys and its people, all depicted in a vivid manner.
Another brilliant piece is Friends – M created by the award-winning Japanese artist Tomiyuki Sakuta, which seems to show the author’s impressions regarding his friends.
As well as these two works, visitors can enjoy many other exceptional prints from a host of talented international artists.
Date: November 29 – February 14, 2016
Time: Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 – 19:00
Venue: The Macao Museum of Art
