Macau’s iAOHiN Gallery will celebrate its grand re-opening this Friday 22 April with the launch of the Himalayan themed show “Tibet Revealed: An In Depth Look At Art From The Roof Of The World.”
The gallery has recently undergone a three-month, HK$1 million remodeling subsidized by Macau’s Cultural Industries Fund as part of the government drive to diversify regional economy into arts and culture.
The exhibition will feature examples of Tibetan Buddhist art alongside thought-provoking paintings by three Tibetan artists living in exile. It will also showcase a select group of traditional Tibetan scroll paintings (thangka).
“Through more than 20 contemporary paintings and 30 thangka we will present to visitors how Tibetan culture and religion are preserved in both at home and in exile, how Tibetans live their life and how Tibetan history is seen through a Tibetan perspective,” the exhibition’s curator, Simon Lam, said.
A centuries-old painting tradition, thangka is still alive thanks in part to artistic Tibetan monks who, passing the craft in direct lineage throughout generations, often spend months or even years producing each of the intricate masterpieces. On display in iAOHiN Gallery will be a select group of thangka on loan from the Beijing Institute of Ethnic Art, some dating back to the Qing dynasty.
Meanwhile, the provocative paintings by Tibetan artists in exile are being shown for the very first time on Chinese soil with exhibition expected to stir some controversy and test Macau’s independent system within China.
“Some of these works are basically forbidden to be shown in the Mainland,” Lam said.
iAOHiN Gallery opened in 2011 is the first private art gallery in Macau. It aims to stimulate learning, promote understanding and inspire personal connections to the ideas, cultures and art.
