Starting from January and running until May 15, GalaxyArt, managed under the Galaxy Entertainment Group Foundation is presenting THE ART OF BAMBOO: from Qilin to Contemporary Art exhibition, featuring exquisite bamboo artworks by Hong Kong artist Mr. Louis To.
The artworks reflect the unique charm of this intangible cultural heritage and demonstrate how traditional Chinese culture is embedded in the Macau community. The exhibition aims at injecting new impetus to this intangible heritage, and encouraging young artists to preserve and inherit the art of bamboo crafts.
The Art of Bamboo incorporates four sections to show the essence of bamboo artworks, including: art pieces of the Chinese mystical animals Qilin and Chiwen; the use of bamboo crafts in the daily lives such as the building of a performance stage; the combination of contemporary bamboo crafts and Western culture; as well as a documentary which gives a glimpse into the art of making these delicate bamboo artworks.
The Qilin was designed and commissioned to lead parades for the Cheung Chau Bun Festival in Hong Kong, and the artist cleverly invented a process by which he can render the materials for making the Qilin waterproof.
Bamboo has always embodied a number of values long sought after by Chinese literati and philosophers: its suppleness and flexibility, as bamboo does not break; and humility – while standing erect, its evergreen vividness projects its ability to survive under different climates and conditions, exuding both strength and elegance.
Louis To is a self-taught artist who learnt through studying other masters’ artworks. A versatile artist, his works range from Chinese and Western painting to sculptures in the Fine Arts, to candy blowing and bamboo sculpting in the traditional crafts that he explores in contemporary ways. Louis started his career in the mid 1990’s and his paintings have received numerous awards. He was the winner of Phillippe Charriol Foundation Competition three years in a row and exhibited at the Hong Kong Museum of Art for the Contemporary Art Biennale in 1996 and 1998.
As a long-term and non-profit space, GalaxyArt is dedicated to offering cultural and art experiences, which fully showcase GEG’s attention to the development of culture and arts in Macau.