By Fish Fong
When we are talking about the cultural and creative industry in Macao, one person will rush into our mind. That is Fortes Pakeong Sequeira, mostly known as Pakeong.
Fortes Pakeong Sequeira
Pakeong, a local artist, is famous for his distinctive drawing. After graduation he worked as full time graphic designer and attended different art events, local and oversea. Seven years later, he decided to become a freelancer. He is considered an icon of live show painting. His works are being bought and collected by collectors.
His life wasn’t always so glorious and blessed. He left home when he was 13, and became a drop-out. He had worked as a construction worker and a kitchen helper for a living. He was also in a detention center in Hong Kong for misconduct. After his mother bailed him out, he swore to God that he would turn over a new leaf in life.
Pakeong gained his reputation from his distinctive talent in drawing and his dedication. He is highly regarded both in Macao and overseas. Art events invite Pakeong as guest or even the principal guest. People see him as a representative of Macao’s art industry. Despite his background, he was also stuck somewhere, as we were. Looking for solutions, Pakeong spent his nights in parks.
When asked about his perspective of the development of Macao’s cultural and creative industry, Pakeong holds an optimistic attitude and believes it’s going well. Though there are complaints about Macao SAR only focusing on the tourism and gaming industry, he believes that it will be a good resource for Macao, if we can make good use of that, in developing the local cultural and creative industry.
People ask him why he chose to be an artist and keeps on drawing. His answer is simple – he just loves it. He doesn’t think about it as tough work or a sacrifice for not earning as much as he could. “It’s my dream and I am happy to be doing all this,” he said.
“Dream is just like a seed, but an ambition is something with which you can succeed and you can make it real,” he said. “If you find your dream, then keep practicing it and find a way to make it your ambition.”
At the end of the interview, Pakeong commented that the cultural and creative industry will keep on developing. “We just need a group of talented and passionate people to work it out together. Macao would be different, not the one which is labeled with ‘casino’, but with ‘culture and creativity’.”