“Along Trail of Matteo Ricci—Collection of Chinese Painting Sketches in Italy” Sketching Exhibition Opens
Group photo of guests attending the opening ceremony of the exhibition
Guests viewing the exhibits
Eighteen Artists Leave Traces in Ink along Ricci’s Journey
“Tracing Matteo Ricci’s Footsteps” Sketching Exhibition Opens
[Our Newspaper’s News]
Co-organised by the Rui Cunha Foundation , the Department of Art and Design of the University of Macau, and the Centre for Chinese History and Culture, with the support of the Chinese Painting Art Committee of the China Artists Association, the Greater Bay Area Artists Alliance, and the Greater Bay Area Landscape Painting Art Committee; guided by the Guangdong Province International Cultural Exchange Center and the Guangdong Artists Association, the “Along Trail of Matteo Ricci—Collection of Chinese Painting Sketches in Italy” opened yesterday at the Rui Cunha Foundation Gallery.
The exhibition was initiated by Prof. Zhang Yan, Director of the Centre for Chinese History and Culture of the University of Macau. It brings together the creative achievements of eighteen artists and is co-curated by Ms. Li Ranqing and Ms. Lei Meihang, presenting a total of thirty-three works.
The opening ceremony was held yesterday evening at 6:30 p.m. Attendees included Mr. Ho Ion Sang, Standing Committee Member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Vice President of the Legislative Assembly; Mr. Luo Zhenyu, Division Chief of the Social Development Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Mr. Li Zisong, Chairman of the General Union of Cultural Circles of Macao; Mr. Zhang Wenhua, Council Member of the China Artists Association; Mr. Lok Hei, Vice President of the Macau Artist Society; Mr. Yu Peng, Professor at the College of Arts and Media of Tongji University; Mr. Rui Cunha, Chairman of the Rui Cunha Foundation; and Ms. Chan Pui Lan, President of the Tea Art Professionals’ Association of Macao, among others.
Exhibition Runs Until Next Saturday
Ms. Li Ranqing stated that the participating artists followed Matteo Ricci’s route from Italy to China, using the brush and ink of Chinese painting to complete these works. As one of the participating artists herself, she is keenly aware that each work embodies moments of hesitation, transition, and resonance experienced on site. The exhibition deliberately preserves “traces of the scene,” such as the naturally weathered textures caused by wind erosion on Xuan paper and the street dust clinging to the edges of powdered pigments. These are not flaws, but manifestations of the Chinese painting principle of “observing things with the mind.” The decision to present this exhibition in Macao stems precisely from the fact that it is both the starting point of the historical footprints and the spiritual point of origin for this artistic creation.
The exhibition runs until 24 January.
