Stranger to his Motherland but an Old Friend to Macau
by Wang Lin and Cathy Lai
There are not many foreigners living in Macau who are recognized as one of Macau’s best known artists. This is why Denis Murrell is such an anomaly.
To hear Murrell describe it, Macau is definitely not the most mature environment for artists when comparing with its neighboring regions such as Hong Kong and mainland China. Yet, as an artist famous for using tissue paper to create recognizable abstract paintings, Murrell is one of the minority foreign artists who chose to uproot himself and established his art career in Macau.
Murrell has been awarded a variety of art awards and recognitions. For instance, as far back as 1997, Murrell won a second place at the 3rd Bienal de Macau for a work entitled Untitled, and most recently another of his works Lunar Fantasy was recognized with a bronze medal at the Forte Cup 20th Century Asian Pacific Art Competition held in the United States.
With the various awards and recognitions followed by the influx fame, the demand for Murrell’s artwork has increased. The newly constructed casinos and hotels have also become one of his clients.
Q: You were born in Australia and were an English teacher in Papua New Guinea; why did you choose to move to Macau and live in this city for almost two decades?
A: Australian people are very enthusiastic about sports while Asian people respect art and education. I wish I were born in Macau; Macau is the right place for me to pursue my career. Macau’s pace of life has been relatively slow, and more importantly, its residents give the feeling as if they make enough money to live comfortably and therefore life seems much more relaxed.
Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?
A: Some of my influences originate from the Abstract Expressionists of the United States circa the 1940s and 1950s. The dialectic of my art and technique are clear in that from this simple technique and approach to each painting with a common tissue, the result is a work of absolute creative visual force.
Q: How do you think about the art environment in Macau?
A: Many foreign artists from all over the world as well as from Portugal have left Macau following the city’s handover to mainland China. This mass exodus seemed to temporarily leave Macau’s art circle bereft of local and foreign talent. However Macau’s art environment has begun to re-flourish in these recent years mainly due to the emergence of young local artists. In addition, as an art consultant in Estrela do Mar College, I am glad to see the growing passion of Macau’s resident towards art.
